The Will of Mahal
by OfMiceAndMen
Summary: (sequel to The Eye of Mahal) Don't interfere with Thorin, Don't get involved with his quest, stay on your own course and protect the secrets of our people. The race to Erebor has begun but trouble looms after me at every turn, with bandits, orcs and the company to avoid it'll be a miracle I survive. (Rated T just in case) (Events take place during the Hobbit)
1. Chapter 1

**If you are a first timer to this story I am forced to inform you that you are in the wrong starting point. This is actually a sequel to my first story called 'The Eye of Mahal'. You can find that if you go to my profile. It won't be difficult to find. But I urge you to start there because you are going to get quite confused as to what is going on. **

**If you have already finished the lengthy first part of this I encourage you to read on and…I am SUPER sorry that this has gone on a few weeks more than I initially planned. Life has just gotten out of control and I'm still struggling a bit. I started therapy before I finished my first story and it's just been difficult trying to focus on this, that, school, friends, family and life in general…so I am sincerely sorry! I didn't manage to get the amount done that I wanted to in this month and a half that I greedily took…so I'm REALLY behind…My apologies…**

**I hope that this first chapter pleases you…I'll have the second up sometime soon…**

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The Eye of Mahal, a burden and blessing, my duty to protect and defend, even with my life. A secret well kept for one hundred and seventy years with a trail of my family's bodies and souls trailing behind. Until the secret was uncovered by Thorkas, from the information found in King Thror's journal. That led to him destroying what remained of my family forcing me from the home I knew all of my life to the halls of Thorin in the Blue Mountains. Thorin's sister Dis took me under her wing and began to teach me the ways of a noble dwarf woman. Hoping and praying that I was safe I let my guard down and fell in love with her eldest son, Fili.

A childhood friend after my mother died, he was whisked back into the Blue Mountains only a week after I met him. Our second meeting wasn't a storybook, love at first sight, for me, he had grown up into an arrogant and prideful dwarf. But after time, I managed to find that young dwarfling inside of him and I fell head over heels which put him and his family in instant danger.

When we attended Prince Bervic of the Firebeard kingdom's birthday celebrations, Thorkas resurfaced. He led an attack on the dance hall with a large party of bandits and bribed guards. Although I managed to finally put an end to him, almost losing my own life and putting Thorin and his kin in danger, word of the Eye had spread.

Because of that, I had to get to Erebor. I spent the next two weeks, between returning home from the Firebeard kingdom and when Thorin was to set out, preparing for my own journey. At first I thought that I would be able to do this but after time I grew discouraged. Even my engagement to Fili couldn't lift my spirits, and then finally the night before I planned to leave I received a newfound hope in my duty.

But when the time came for me to finally leave, my new home had been invaded by those whom I assumed had heard word of what I carried. Although hours had passed, the sequence of events still ran through my head: the fire in the library, leaving the librarian behind to save his books, rescuing Dis from the fire and then watching her run into danger. Then there was leaving a frightened and scared Gimli behind after saving him from being impaled by the scarred dwarf.

I sat on the pony as the sun continued to rise in the sky; we had been joined by what remained of the raiding party. Although I should have been terrified at being tied to my saddle with the unknown fates of the librarian and Dis nagging at the back of my head, I sat calmly. There were only six dwarves remaining from the original ten that he had brought with him. I managed to pick this up through small conversations of the dwarf leading my pony and the dwarf that continued to eye me warily.

We had been going for hours now and for me that was enough time to formulate a plan to escape and resume my original plan. His men were tired and it was pretty obvious that they were hungry too. They babbled like children, whining about things they couldn't control which made them incompetent and easily persuaded.

"How much longer," one of them snapped, "I'm starvin' and she's got plenty o' supplies."

"No one lays a hand on her or what she has," the leader spat harshly, "Or they will pay the consequences." He flashed a brightly polished blade to his men while on the back of a larger pony. I heard a growl and grunt from the complainer but afterwards he remained silent.

"I don't get why she gets ta ride the nag," I heard one whisper, "We should make her walk."

"Silence," I heard another whisper, "Garnor knows what he's doing."

"But she's no threat. Look at her; she's but a pampered lady of the court. There'd be nothin' much she could do to us." I fought hard to keep back a laugh but a small smile crept on my face.

"Then why 'ould she be carryin' a sword?"

"Intimidation," he replied smartly, "she'll be trying to give us the wrong impression."

"You know?" I whispered in his direction finally breaking my silence, "How did you guess?" I placed the most sincere look I could muster on my face as I got their attention. The dwarf who had been so pompous to assume such things stuck his chest out and grinned at me.

"Because beautiful, proper women shouldn't affiliate with such filthy things," he stroked his long red beard. His partner looked slightly surprised as I revealed an embarrassed grin while tucking my hair behind my right ear.

"Beautiful and proper?" I recounted as I added a girlish giggle, "You're too kind, sir."

"Silence!" I heard from the front of our party, "Do not speak to her!"

"But what else am I supposed to do," I whined while trying to keep up with the spoiled attitude, "I'm bored out of my mind and these ropes hurt! Can't you loosen them?"

"Keep your tongue still!" the scarred dwarf commanded.

"But it hurts and besides I'm not going anywhere! I don't even know where we are!" It was a lie of course, I knew exactly where we were, and I had studied the maps long and hard. Instead of my intended path of heading north to Luneside, we were heading direct east. It was going to put me only a little bit off schedule but I could still make it if I got away now.

The leader looked over his shoulder at one of his insubordinates and gave a quick head nudge. They moved towards me and began untying them, when it had gotten loose enough for my hands to squeeze out I swung my leg into the dwarf's head with my heavy boot to knock him to the ground. I pulled my sword from its sheath and took a swing at the next dwarf that approached.

"Stop her!" the scarred dwarf shouted as I kicked my pony's sides to usher it forward. While trampling the dwarf that held the reins we took off at a swift run. I heard curses and the shrill sound of metal scraping against metal as I leaned forward to reclaim the reins from their chaotic freedom. I could hear the pounding of hooves as I glanced over my shoulder to see the scarred dwarf following me, his long battle axe drawn and swinging above his head.

I urged my pony to ride faster as I saw him gaining on me as I entered a thick line of trees. It took me a while to finally get through but it had allowed my pursuer to catch up slightly. I heard a song of panic coming from the saddle pocket where Prince Bervic's apology gift resided. Little Purkoy popped his small head out and the wing had been injured in the fire that ravaged the library.

"Hang on," I whispered as I kicked the pony's sides again. We shot forward suddenly as we took a magnificent leap over a fallen oak tree. We hit the ground and the pony took off like lightning. As we got farther into the small forest roots began to appear out of nowhere and my pony stumbled a bit. I silently prayed to Mahal's wife, Yavanna*, that they wouldn't be my downfall. The Eye that bounced between my chest and the second shirt I wore suddenly grew warm. I glanced over my shoulder just in time to see a tree root suddenly move in front of the dwarf's pony.

"By Durin's beard," I muttered in shock as I watched his pony collapse and topple over. Its rider went flying from the saddle and I heard a hard thud where he hit a nearby tree. I turned back hoping that a rouge root wouldn't suddenly appear to send me to the ground.

"Rukhsul menu*!" I heard from my left, seeing a small silver flash in the corner of my eyes. I ducked but not soon enough. The sharp blade grazed my cheek and the harsh sting of the skin parting forced me to let out a loud grunt. It burned as my pony continued through the trees, I felt a small trickle of blood dripping down past my chin.

"We need her alive!" I heard a fading voice from my right as I finally broke through the trees and into an open glade. With my sword still in hand I fought the urge to turn and face my attackers. It would only take up the time that I was already short of but it wasn't my choice. Two men suddenly appeared and began dragging me off of the saddle. My pony whinnied and let out a sudden kick to one of their heads. He went down with a loud crack that echoed in my eardrums.

I fell to the ground and my sword clattered on a nearby boulder. The man began wrestling with me but with my small stature and his long limbs the fight went on. I managed to force my way back to my feet but he swung his leg around and it collided with my knee forcing me back to the ground. On single knee with our hands interlocked it was a stalemate as we struggled to push against each other.

I gritted my teeth and let my arms give out. I rolled backwards putting my foot into his gut and forced him over myself. I heard him groan in pain as I flipped back over on my stomach and rose to my hands and knees. I scoured the ground looking for my sword only to see it on the other side of the boulder. Scrambling for it, I crawled over and snagged it from the grass. As I began to rise I felt one of my legs go out from under me and I fell back onto the rock.

"By Mahal," I grunted as I swung my arm around to clip his shoulder. He refused to give up as he dragged me off the rock and into a small mud puddle left by the previous night's storm. It splashed on the both of us. I pulled away and the silt on my leg, and his hands, made it easy for me to slip out of his grasp. I dived out of his arms reach and rolled back to my feet. He lunged at me sloppily which made it easy for his stomach to feel my blade go through.

There was a darkness in his eyes as I pulled my sword back out of his gut and he fell to the ground. My heart continued to race for a minute as I short deep breaths. I wiped the blood and filth from my blade onto my trousers. The engraving on it shone in the sunlight.

'_Jewel of the Dwarven Race'_

The Eye on my chest began to cool down to a colder temperature than was necessary. There were still more out there.

I sheathed my sword and began to walk towards the steed, which seemed to be eyeing me coldly. I gave it the same look as I took the horn of the saddle and pulled myself up. There was a small ache in my side and I cursed quietly. I may have rebroken a rib from my final encounter with Thorkas.

"Onward," I whispered to my pony as we pushed across the glade and into the next line of trees. In which we stayed on course for about ten minutes without any sign or sound of the remaining bandits. The sun began to sink in the sky before I finally began to see the town of Luneside in the distance. It seemed to be the same as the day I had left it with Thorin. The torches were just being lit and it was a time where people were beginning to close up for the night. The streets would be alive with townsfolk and friends.

It grew in size faster than it would have in the daylight as the skies grew dark; it became a sort of beacon as I neared it. The gates came into view and I felt a small pain in my heart, there was the nighttime guard. The only difference in his appearance now was that his arm was in a splint. He seemed startled as I approached. He struggled to get to his feet as I stopped and dismounted.

"Cara?" he called out, "By the light of day! Where have you been, lass? You've been missing for months." He came over and took my extended forearm.

"A friend of father's offered to take me in until I was ready to fend for myself," I replied with a smile.

"Your uncle went looking for you and never came back," he recounted.

"He was attacked by bandits. He and Del never made it," I said sadly.

"My condolences."

"Thank you. Now, I am eager to get some much needed rest so I shall be off once more. Farewell!" I waved to him as I led the pony into the town. It was alight with music and laughter in the air. Memories came flooding back to me as I walked these long cobblestone streets once more. I fought to stay focused as I led my pony through the crowds pulling my hood over my face.

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**Okay so I hope this went good so far and gives you a good idea on where I want to go with this! **

**Please leave me a word or two in the box below!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay! So I've been running this way and that doing things but I hope that this makes up for it!**

**There's only one * in here so read on!**

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I finally reached the large multi-story building and guided the beast around to the stables. The small shaggy boy that cared for the horses was there as always tending to a large magnificent stallion.

"Lady Dwarf!" he exclaimed as I handed him the reins, "You're alive?" I looked at him curiously as he took the reins cautiously.

"Of course I'm alive," I muttered, "what would make you think such a thing?" As a man-child he looked to be about eight or nine years of age.

"I hear people talking and they say that you was dead," he said embarrassed, "I hear lots of things from the tavern and from what Da tells me." I knew that the innkeeper didn't have a family of his own so I assumed this boy was only an apprentice or such.

"Who's your father?" I asked him.

"Dolund, son of Davak," he said.

"You're Dolund's boy?" I inquired as I followed him to a stall, "How is your father?"

"His health hasn't been the best; he's come down with pneumonia, Lady Dwarf." I began unloading my belongings as our last encounter played in my head.

"He'll get better, lad. I'm sure he will. I've known him for years, that stubborn man wouldn't die if Mandos* himself came to take him," I said as I ruffled his hair. He was tall for his age but with seeing his father you would understand. With my simple height of 55 inches he was but an inch or two smaller than I was.

"Thanks," he said with a large grin as I pulled out little Purkoy from the saddle bag. He looked a little in distress.

"Is Marion still in town?" I asked.

"She's actually home this time of night," he replied, "Did you find him in your travels?"

"Aye," I smiled as Purkoy gave a little chirp, "Hurt his wing in a fire."

"He's fascinating," the little boy said as he ran his finger over the bird's head.

"He can be a little bugger," I stated gaining a small curious look from the small animal in my hand, "But I must be off." I bid him farewell after gathering my funds from the saddle and entering the inn. It was loud and boisterous as I gave one of the serving maids a small nod to the offer of food. I walked to the main desk where the innkeeper sat. He sat up suddenly and with wide eyes smiled.

"I'm glad you made it, master dwarf," he said as he handed me a key to my room, "You've got a credit. This'll make us even, now."

"Thank you," I replied merrily as we leaned in closer to each other.

"It's the room beside the back door. You're barge leaves at midday," he muttered only loud enough for me to hear, "It'll be a day or so before you arrive." I nodded and pocketed the key.

"Will you have the stable boy bring in my belongings and have my dinner brought to the room? I have some errands to attend to." I asked him in my regular toned voice.

"Yes sir," he said as I bowed and pulled my hood off.

"What happened to your face?" he asked. I reached up and began rubbing the cracked blood from my cheek.

"Getting out of the mountain was harder than expected," I replied as I felt the sting on my face once more.

"If I may say," he whispered, "You seem a little different than last we met." I let out a small chuckle.

"Aye," I replied, "I guess that I am."

I walked through the streets with my head lowered as I traveled to Marion's shop. I dreaded the idea because it was so close to my old home but I knew that I couldn't help this poor bird myself. I took a deep breath as I approached the street where my home once stood tall. The fire burned through my mind as I lost my breath.

Purkoy let out a small worried note in his song of concern.

"I'm fine," I whispered to him. Lying, of course, seemed to be getting easier and easier since my life turned upside down. The fire, though, still raged through my head as we came to my street. I paused for a moment and glanced down into the darkness that swallowed the still empty shell of my home. Its walls were still charred and it looked as though some children had been terrorizing it. The windows that had survived the fire were now broken and shattered. The door hung limply off to the side and looked as though it was going to fall off at any moment.

I felt tears stinging my eyes as I remembered walking out that door for the last time. Leaving my father with the intention of seeing him once more at another day of simple work, reminding him how much I hated working alone.

"I'll be along soon," I heard his voice whisper in my ears once more as I felt the sharp pain through my heart. I couldn't help myself as I began to walk towards it feeling the Eye growing warm on my chest. My old home grew as it once did every day when I returned home from the shop. I could hear my father groaning next to me as he muttered something about an old battle injury. That was his excuse for all of the aches and pains he gained as he grew older. I would always laugh and give him a playful push as we reached the door.

This was where I was now.

The front room seemed to have been cleared of the old debris. I stepped onto the rotting floors as the darkness that it held consumed me. The only light I could see was from the Eye that was now shining brightly on my chest. I pulled it out and used its light to guide my way into my father's room. Much of his old furniture was still there although the drawers had been emptied and much of the room was charred and blackened.

"Papa," I choked as the light shone upon a dark red and brown stain on the ground. I fought back the tears and the pain as I took long and deep breaths forcing myself to remain calm. Purkoy began to get fidgety in my hand so I placed him gently on a table that seemed sturdy enough. He bounced around trying to look at everything that I was seeing.

I walked over to where my father's bed had been. It had been overturned, I guessed, in the struggle. The mattress was toppled over and the frame of the bed was snapped in half. I would have paid it no mind if Purkoy hadn't of leaped from the table to crash land where I had the light shining. He regained his standing and used his good wing to point to a floorboard that seemed undamaged by the fire.

"That's strange," I muttered to myself as I carefully went to my knees and used the knife on my thigh to pry it up. It came up rather easily so I slipped the knife back into its sheath and used my hands to pull the plank away. In a small nest of barely singed hay and ash there laid a small tan pouch that had escaped the wrath of the fire.

Purkoy chirped and reached in to attempt to pick it up by himself. It was obviously too heavy for him so I reached in with my own hand to pull it out. I recognized a special stitching on the bag that resembled my father's signature that he put on all of his pieces. My curiosity overwhelmed me as I began to open the bag. A flash of green appeared just as a rustling came from outside of the room.

"Who's there?" I demanded as I quickly shoved the Eye back to its hiding spot. My eyes had a hard time adjusting as I tucked the small pouch into the pocket with my room key.

Hearing nothing Purkoy let out a low and deep whistle as I reached down to retrieve him from the ground. I moved as quietly as I could through the door with the dagger in my hand. There was no one there. I wanted to assume that it was nothing more than a rat coming in to finish what remained of our pantry but I held my breath. Finding that there was nothing around, I cursed myself for my foolishness as I moved swiftly out the front door and back onto my original path.

I turned the corner and continued around the block to where her shop was located. It was more or less her own home but she ran her shop there. In the summer night I saw beautiful flowers adorning her windows as I approached. There were candles alight and I saw small shadows fading in and out. I smiled at the thought of her children once more. Living a block away, I saw much of her little girls. Little Aribelle was five and Annielle was seven, or eight, they were full of bubbly energy but were the most innocent and beautiful children I had ever seen in this town. I smiled to myself as I rapped my knuckles on the door, remembering the afternoons that we would spend together when their mother was busy with injuries and sicknesses.

"Mama," I heard a high pitched voice call out as the pitter-patter of little feet rushed around behind the door.

"Annielle," a lower voice scorned as a hard thud sounded through the door. It opened suddenly to reveal Marion holding her youngest on her hip.

"Yes?" she asked, her face darkened from the light inside.

"I have need of your assistance. My messenger bird was injured in a fire," I said flatly.

"Birdy!" her little girl cried as she reached out for him. Purkoy began climbing up my arm to my shoulder trying to avoid the grabbing hands.

"I'll see what I can do," Marion stated, "Please come in." She moved from the doorway and I walked into her small home. I had been in there before once when father had accidentally burned his hand in the furnace when trying to get a fitting right for a wedding ring.

Purkoy looked up at me with a worried expression in his small eyes. I gave him a half hearted smile as I set him down onto the table. Marion put her child down and little Aribelle rushed to the table to touch the bird. Purkoy's eyes widened as he began quickly bouncing away from her outstretched limbs.

"Careful youngling," I whispered as I gently put my hand on hers, "He's frightened." Her big brown eyes looked up at me filled with shock.

"Oh," she said defeated as she pulled her hands back. I glanced over at the other girl that was sitting at the table. She avoided any eye contact with me.

"A turtle dove?" Marion asked as she placed a few jars and a vial down onto the table, "a strange sight to be seeing it alone." Purkoy waddled over to the jars and looked at his reflection in the glass. He tilted his head almost in confusion as he leaned in close to it and eyed himself. Little Aribelle and Annielle both snickered at his behavior.

"He was a parting gift," I replied, "I don't understand much of his background." She carefully lifted his injured wing and took a look at it. There was a small cry that emanated from his beak as Marion gently released it.

"It's not too extensive," she stated as she turned her head to her eldest daughter, "would you grab a bandage from my basket?" Annielle nodded and rose from the table.

"How long until he recovers?" I asked.

"Just a few days, a week at most," she replied, "It's not too serious." I inwardly sighed in relief as her daughter brought back a small rolled up piece of cloth. I felt a small tug on my cloak and I looked down at the brown-eyed child.

"Cara? Where had you gone?" she whispered, "Annie and I missed you." I glanced over at Marion who was looking at me out of the corner of her eye.

"I had to go away for a while," I replied as I bent down to her, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you goodbye."

"We was afraid," she whispered in her soft voice, "Mama said that you was going on an adventure without us."

"I would never go on an adventure without you!" I insisted as I poked her little belly. She let out a childish giggle and suddenly wrapped her arms around me.

"I missed you!" she whispered in my ear. I wrapped my arms around her and the feeling felt so foreign to me. I couldn't quite understand as to why I felt this way. I had known this child since the day she was born and yet she felt so distant from me.

"We both missed you," Annielle said from behind her sister, "Why did you have to leave?" I sighed and released the child before I stood back up.

"There were some bad people after me."

"Did you do something wrong?" she asked.

"No," I replied smiling and shaking my head, "They were just bad people."

"Girls," Marion said quickly as she finished bandaging up the little bird, "I need to speak with Cara for a moment. Go wash up for dinner." The both of them gave me one last hug before they scampered out of the room.

"You shouldn't have come back," she whispered to me as Purkoy fought against the bandages, "You're too exposed here, too many people know you."

"I understand that," I replied in the same voice, "I'll be gone by mid-day tomorrow." She looked at me sternly for a moment.

"What made you come back?" she asked, "You left to protect yourself. Why come back to it?" I put my hand down on the table so Purkoy could climb up my arm to my shoulder.

"I didn't come back to it, it came to me," I replied simply, "I have things that need to be done, a duty to uphold."

"It's some duty to have your life in danger constantly," she scoffed as she began placing her medicines and jars back onto the shelves, "Be careful out there."

"Aye, give your girls my best. I will not be seeing them for quite some time," I said as I flipped her a coin for payment. She caught it skillfully and nodded.

"Tread carefully around these parts. Not all is as it seems," she warned me. I understood the message and walked out her door and into the summer night.

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**Mandos: is basically the God of the Underworld.**

**Alright I'm just trying to tie up some loose ends here and get her going on her way...Although she doesn't really leave until two or three more chapters (I forget) but she will soon and I will throw a bunch of stuff at her :) and a close encounter with the Company! I'm excited to write that too! So I hope that you will enjoy this and leave me a word or two at the bottom!**

**Farewell!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay I was really struggling with this chapter which is why it is short. **

**Please read on and leave me some words of wisdom at the end!**

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There was a warm breeze that carried voices and laughter as I began walking back to the inn with Purkoy chirping on my shoulder. His wing was packed tightly against his body and I could see it was irritating him.

"Quit fighting it," I whispered to him as I gently stroked his head, "You'll be making it worse." A deep note exited his throat as his eyelid dropped. Although he couldn't speak I could understand what he was trying to say, 'it's your fault.' Remembering that brought me back to the reason I had sent him into harm's way in the first place. I pulled the now crumpled piece of parchment from my pocket and carefully unfolded it. I found a nearby lantern and from the light I managed to see what was on it. There were scribbles and words that had been crossed out many times but I managed to figure out what he was trying to say.

_Cara,_

_I have waited as long as I can. We're leaving now. I've tried everything I could to awaken you but it seems as though the Eye has captured your mind. Its light hasn't faded and seems to ward off any effect we have of trying to wake you. I am sure that whatever it is you are keeping from me, the Eye is involved somehow. This frightens me, Cara. I understand that I will have no knowledge if you do as I ask but as your betrothed I beg of you,_

_Stay here and stay safe._

_Fili_

I stopped for a moment to consider the idea that maybe the note wasn't something I needed to read at that moment. I gulped down the pit in the back of my throat as I wave of guilt filled my gut. I was already disobeying him and we weren't even married yet. I surely wasn't going to be a great wife. Or even mother. The thought of having a child frightened me, to bring them into this world full of danger always looking over their shoulder in fear. The only way I would permit myself to have a child was when I knew without a doubt that they would be safe.

I folded the note back up and tucked it inside of my second shirt, next to the Eye. It fit snugly next to my heart as I resumed my journey to the inn. The sights and sounds all came back to me as wonderfully familiar, I relished in the pleasant memories that came. They washed away the dark cloud that covered my mind for a few moments until I came upon a street that I knew only too well. It was full of people, but to me it felt empty.

To the left was my father and Beraim's old shop. It looked the same as that night I left it. It stood tall but the windows were dark. I stepped up to the door for a moment fighting with myself as to whether or not to go inside. The idea left a heavy feeling in my stomach but I pushed forward.

The door swung open with its usual creak and the air smelled musty. I stepped in and a thick layer of dust covered everything. A few tools hung on the walls in their proper places, others were missing. The forge stood silently as a reminder of the old and strong dwarf who once cared for them. I moved forward watching the light from the torches outside dance on the walls casting long forgotten shadows.

Echoing memories of my early childhood days came through my head and it was almost as though I could see them before my very eyes.

_"Papa?" I called out from the small desk that Beraim had made for me, "This fitting is ugly! I can't do this!" I threw the small bracelet into the wall and threw my head down onto my crossed arms. _

_"Jewel!" my father shouted from his desk as he turned in his chair, "Do not cast your creations away as if they were rubbish." He rose and came to my table to pick up the small tin bracelet that had bounced to the ground. _

_"But papa!" I insisted, "I cannot do it like you! You can make beautiful things and my hands can only make beautiful things ugly." _

_"Now Cara," he said as he put his hand on my shoulder and placed the bracelet back in front of me, "Why would you think such a thing?" _

Purkoy gave me a small rub on the cheek for a moment as if he could sense the feelings that overwhelmed me.

"I'm okay," I whispered to him as I began stroking his feathers with my fingers, "It's just going to take some time." I moved through the main shop area and to the back room where a few small bags still resided. The Eye lit up once more and with no windows in this room I pulled it out to help battle the darkness. I curiously moved towards them and opened the nearest holding my breath. Inside were scraps that I had once worked on. I took notice of a long golden chain that looked unfamiliar to my eyes. I reached in and pulled it out of the bag careful to keep it from pulling anything else out. The pendant on it was made of gold and had been shaped into a majestic bird, the peacock. The feathers were attached by small links of a chain and had a web shape in the posterior side. On each level of feathers there was a different gemstone. It began with emeralds then sapphires and then amethysts. It was rather beautiful except for the missing eye that it had.

I looked at it long and hard trying to decide on the type of gem that was or could be used to complete the piece, but nothing came to mind. I hated to leave an almost finished piece of art but I knew that I wouldn't have the time to ever complete it so I set it carefully back into the bag.

A long and high note emitted from Purkoy's beak as he moved down my arm. He pointed to the bag and turned his head.

"I can't take it with us," I insisted but the little dove would have none of it, "I'll never be able to finish it." He took a leap from my arm and landed square on the bag. He began shifting around to find the opening and when he did he picked up the chain and gave me a pleading look.

I sighed and took it from him.

"Alright," I muttered as I turned away and exited the room, "I'll see what I can do."

My mind instantly flared with ideas on how to finish this little pendant as I carefully laid it down on the table and turned to a small lantern that hung on a post. I opened a small drawer and took out a match to light it. The small flame took to the wick quickly as it always had. I closed the small metal and glass door as I took it off the post to set it on father's work table. I offered a quick glance at the door to be sure that the light wouldn't cause much attention before I began taking various tools down from the wall. They were right where I had left them, nothing had disturbed their rest since the day my home burned.

The Eye faded as the lantern's light began to fully illuminate my workspace. I placed my selected tools onto the table and sat down in the chair.

I began my work by tapping on the desk three times. A soft pop came and I opened the drawer to the left. A small piece of wood stuck out of the wall. I turned it counterclockwise and pushed it back into place. Another pop came and the hidden compartment that I was looking for appeared. I reached in and took out the small bag of gems that father and I worked with. I began sifting through it looking for one that would be a good fit. The light seemed to fail my dwarfish eyes as I continued to pick out ones that were too big. In my frustration I emptied the pouch onto the table and began sifting through each stone individually. After a moment I found three that would fit.

The first one I found was a dark ruby. It was beautiful and I could see the perfectly cut lines that I identified as my father's work. The second was a gray onyx that didn't quite stand out to me as the third one did. It was a moonstone that shone, even in the dim light, like the moon itself. The many colors that seemed to move and bend around its uncut surface reminded me of Prince Bervic's birthday celebration. Each color moved and swirled as dancers on the golden floors. .

"What do you think?" I asked as I placed it on my palm for the small dove to see. He twisted his head to look at it and then let out a high pitched chirp. I smiled and nodded as I scooped the remaining gems back into the pouch and hid it back in the secret compartment. I shut the door and turned the small latch clockwise to lock it. I carefully slid the drawer shut after pulling another match out to light the table candle.

I opened the small clamps that had been placed there to hold the missing gem and with a small pair of tongs I carefully put it in place.

Purkoy bounced around on his toes for a moment and stole my attention away from my project. He pointed to a small window that was nearby and tried to unlock it with his beak.

"One moment," I whispered as I set the pendant down and flipped the small latch. I pushed on the glass to open it slightly for him. He nudged it open a little more and perched himself on the edge. He cooed happily as his eyes closed and his body relaxed. I rolled my eyes and resumed my work.

I held the pendant over the table candle for a moment to get the clamps to soften. I then snagged a small delicate hammer to maneuver them over the stone. I set it on the table and took a long look at it.

It looked exquisite, in my eyes. The peacock was my mother's favorite bird, the only time she had ever seen one in person was when she was forced into exile from Erebor. She spied it from a long ways off in the company of a small group of elves. I personally had never seen one before and why my father would be making something like this after all these years was a true mystery to me.

I was tempted to pull it over my head to test what it looked like on me but I resisted, tucking it carefully in a cloth that was nearby. I rose from the chair and kept my small bundle in my hand remembering how many things I had in my pocket already. With my free hand I reached in and pulled out the small pouch that I had found in my home. I opened it to see a smooth green stone. It had silver swirls and streaks of starlight. I was mesmerized at its beauty and it took me a while before I pulled it out.

I looked at one side of it closely and then flipped it over to reveal a line of runes that had been carved onto it. A large lump formed in my throat when I read the message.

Protect.

I fell back in to the seat staring at the runes feeling a sudden overwhelming feeling of guilt as if the stone had been placed there for me. The thought seemed ridiculous but I couldn't erase it from my mind as I collapsed my hands around it to break its enchantment on me.

"Quite funny," I whispered to myself as I bit my lip. I then scooped up the contents of my pocket along with the necklace to shove them back into my pocket without another thought. I began placing the tools back into their proper positions and the ruckus awoke Purkoy. He gave out a small chirp and twisted his head. I shook my head and returned him to my shoulder as I blew out the candles and left.

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**Okay so keep in mind that this peacock will come into play later in this story but this is a very short chapter and I am sorry that it's not exactly moving as fast as I need it to. It will get better soon! I promise! There wasn't a lot of dialogue so I hope that I got enough detail in here to give you a good idea of how important this peacock pendant will be later.**

**So, leave me a word or two and I will see you next week!**


	4. Chapter 4

**This was a very rushed chapter so I do apologize if its kinda stupid...and I'm posting it a day early because I really want to just get it out of the way!**

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"Just this once," I muttered as I tore off a small piece of bread and fed it to him. He nibbled at it for a moment as he carefully laid down and resumed his nap. I smiled softly at him as I finished the plate that I had. I glanced around the room and noticed my packs were behind the door. I moved from my place at the table and shifted them to the opposite side of the door in the case I had to leave quickly. I also locked the door before I let the effects of tiredness affect me.

I shed my clothing and cloak to the ground as I kicked off my boots. I plopped down onto the bed and uttered a small prayer to Mahal to watch over Dis and the librarian…I didn't even know his name I suddenly realized. He had never bothered to tell me…and I was much too focused on my task to even ask. I began scolding my actions as I threw the blanket over me and stared at the door until sleep finally overtook me.

I awoke to Purkoy poking at my hand that I had dangling over the edge of the bed. The sky was turning a light blue but the sun hadn't been able to peek over the horizon just yet. I yawned loudly and rubbed my eyes for a moment.

"What?" I grunted as I felt my hair spiraling out of control. I rolled out of the bed and began to try and run my fingers back through my hair to get it to stay down on my head. The small braid behind my left ear was bent but the bead held it firm. I sat at the table and attempted to get it all back to a descent and presentable look.

It took some time before I managed to get it back to the way it was and by that time the sun was just peeking over the edge of the horizon and I could hear birds beginning to sing. I slipped back into my clothes, belt and cloak before heading out with the small bird on my shoulder.

"Where you off to?" I heard the innkeeper call from across the almost empty room as I reached the dining hall.

"Just going out for a bit," I answered, "Need to check on a few things." I was actually planning on paying my last respects to my parents before I began this journey. I would need all the help I could get. He gave me a cautious nod. I passed through the front door and to the stables where I could see that no one was around.

Finding my saddle and preparing my pony for the small ride, I leaped onto its back and steered it through the doors and onto the street. The environment was quiet at first but soon enough the sound of childish laughter and infant cries could be heard. They sent chills down my spine as the reoccurring thought of my own children rang through my head. I pulled my hood on before I passed a few people that I recognized and chose not to acknowledge them.

I approached the gate once more and the guard looked at me warily.

"Leaving again?" he inquired.

"Just for an hour at most," I replied, "I won't be gone long."

"I thought it may be best to caution you. Last night's guard spotted a group of mysterious and odd folk camping a mile or so away. Be on your guard and safe travels!" He opened the gate and I offered a nod of respect and gratitude. I kicked the sides of the pony and we began the journey with renewed energy.

The air smelled the same as it once did and not like the smoke filled halls of the mountains. The light was beginning to shine through the misty air as I began to urge my pony to travel faster. The moist air that blew through my hair seemed to help keep it under control. I felt my face beginning to feel damp as we traveled along the familiar paths of my childhood.

The Eye began to grow warm on my chest as flashbacks of days, long forgotten, moved behind my eyes.

_"Mama! Watch me!" I called as I scrambled onto a large boulder, "I'm like Papa!" I stood tall and my mother let out a small giggle._

_"I'm watching!" she called back as I took a step back and dove off the boulder. My trajectory wasn't as accurate as I thought and I went tumbling into a small patch of rocks. My loud wails echoed off the trees and forest around us as my mother quickly rushed over to take me in her arms._

_"What happened?" I heard my father shout as he burst through the line of trees with a rabbit and two squirrels in his belt._

_"She just fell," my mother replied as she stroked my hair, "trying to be like her father." _

I looked at the boulder for a moment remembering the lump on my head that seemed to never go away. It looked so small, hardly a challenge for me now.

I shook my head and moved on trying to keep my eyes on the road and my ears open to any sound. There wasn't much to hear with a misty day as it was but I enjoyed watching the various sparkles in the air as they danced around the ground. I remembered mother once calling them the dust of Yavanna, the magic that she used to create the world around us. They were everywhere as I traveled along the road, my pony calm and peaceful, with Purkoy singing an eager song.

After what seemed to be shorter than the usual travel time I finally saw the cave opening over the rocky terrain. I stopped my pony and dismounted, wanting to go alone I placed Purkoy on the saddle. The pony didn't seem to mind as he bent his head and began to taste the grass below him but Purkoy tilted his head. I waved him off and his song stopped.

Turning back to the cave, I moved forward, gathering wildflowers, climbing over a rock or two and moved into its darkness. I felt a moment of relief when I saw that neither of their graves had been disturbed and that my father's gravestone was in place.

_Rodan, husband of Tarra, a Beholder of the Eye_

The last part of his inscription confused me for a moment as I neared it to place the flowers upon his grave and examined it closely. Is that what the guardian's husband was called, a beholder? I pondered this for a moment trying to break down the word game that was obviously at play here as I felt the Eye growing warm on my skin. After a few moments I gave up as I uttered a small prayer to Mahal that their souls would be safe with him as I placed a kiss on each marker. There was a small moment of peaceful silence as I noticed sunlight pouring in through the entrance and the mist.

"Good-bye," I whispered to them as I felt a twinge of hurt in my heart, "I'll see you in Erebor." I couldn't quite understand why I felt this way. They were visiting me in dreams and visions so they weren't exactly dead.

But they were dead. In this physical world they were dead. Father would never get the chance to scare Fili as all fathers did when their daughter chose a husband. He would never get to cry the tears of a father when he gives his daughter away to be married and to live in the halls of her husband.

Mother would never get to help me with my wedding attire, to teach me how to be a proper wife and mother when I began my own family. She wasn't going to be there when I gave birth to her first grandchild. Neither of them would know my children until they themselves passed on into the Halls of Mandos. Out of all of these though, what hurt the most was the thought that my children were never going to know them the way that I did. They would only hear the stories that I alone could give.

I was alone in this…truly alone.

I climbed up the hillside pushing these thoughts away and began to press on the large boulders that my father and I had prepared for this moment over the opening. I struggled with the heaviest, knowing that, although I was strong for a dwarven woman, I was just one dwarf. I held my breath and bent my knees as I pushed against it feeling it slowly moving. It suddenly began to move itself and toppled over the side and into the perfect spot. The loud thud that it gave off startled my pony that had moved slightly into the tree line that was nearby. Purkoy let out a shriek and flapped his good wing frantically.

I didn't wait to see if someone was going to come looking at what the noise was about. I moved quickly down the hillside to my spooked mount to calm him back down. I climbed on to his back and we began our journey back to the town.

Purkoy was emitting soft cries of confusion from inside one of the saddle bags as we neared the mile marker to the town.

"Shush," I whispered, "Everything is fine." I pulled the reins to maneuver the pony's head as I heard a small crackle of a branch. The Eye turned cold on my chest. I whipped out my sword from its sheath, the metal hissing against the leather, and waited for whatever had made the noise to appear. A few seconds went by and I could hear nothing but the sounds of the woods around me and my heart pounding. I began to put my sword back when I heard it! Two hoots.

I slammed my heels into the pony's sides and we shot away like a hare. Shouts and cries filled the air as arrows with ropes attached began to cross my path. I cursed as I felt my pony stumble for a split second but managed to keep his hooves under him.

"Faster!" I urged the beast as I glanced over my shoulder at two archers who were pointing their bows in my direction. The scars on my arm began to ache as the memory of my previous encounter with an arrow flew across my mind. Their arrows released into the air and accelerated into the sky, getting bigger and bigger. I raised my sword quickly to brush the most accurate one away from me as it began to descend when I suddenly felt myself flying forward. My pony disappeared out from beneath me and I found myself on the ground gasping for breath. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the pony rising to its feet.

"She's down!" I heard from behind me. I caught my breath after hearing their feet on the rocks and sprung to my feet. I counted at least six trailing behind me as I began sprinting after the pony who was attempting to get out of the crossfire.

"Stop her!" I grabbed onto the horn of the saddle and attempted to pull myself back into the seat bouncing along with one foot in the stirrup. In my other hand was my sword which made for my position to be an awkward one. I heard a chirp from the saddle bag and felt a moment of relief that he was unharmed.

"Whoa!" I shouted over the noise trying to slow the pony down. It didn't hear me at first and only continued to get faster. We put on a sudden burst of speed towards the town with two more mounted attackers behind me. An arrow shot above us and nicked my steeds neck. He uttered a loud whinny and began thrashing his head around in pain.

"Steady!" I commanded as we began to turn in circles. The attackers began gaining quickly and there was nothing that I could do with the idiot beast now. I reached over the saddle and snatched Purkoy from the bag with my foot still stuck in the stirrup. I tucked him into the crevice of my arm and managed to free my entangled foot. It ached when I slammed it on the ground in my sprint away from the two riders.

I knew that I couldn't get very far with the two ponies gaining on me and the shouts and cries of the grounded attackers following closely behind. My only hope was the grove of woods stood between me and Luneside. If I could make it through there and into the town guard's sight I would stand a chance.

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**The next chapter will be much better I swear! This was just for the sake of wrapping up the loose end that she had with ensuring that her father's grave was taken care of. (If you didn't know that was a loose end...it was) But she is leaving in the next chapter! I've got that written already and she is going to be on her merry little way! I don't know if it was bothering you or not but it was irritating me to no end having her still at Luneside for chapters on end! So I fixed it :D **

**So I know it's kinda cheesy to ask but please leave me a note in the white box below so I know how this is going!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Alrighty here's chapter five!**

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I burst into the tree line; the familiarity of it from my childhood flashed in my eyes. My heart pounded in my ears as I leaped through a pair of tightly grown trees that I used to play around with a well concealed root at their base. A horse's loud neigh echoed through the trees around me as I bounded over a fallen tree. I glanced back to see a huddled mess of limbs and horse legs as I pushed onward feeling my feet fly as I continued across the ground.

"Keep breathing!" I scolded myself when I felt a small sharp pain in the right side of my chest, "Blasted rib!" I heard the horse beginning to catch up as I began to slow down. In a quick motion I spun and managed to connect my blade with the nose of my pursuer's mount. It emitted a loud snort and quickly slowed down.

"Rukhsul menu!" I heard from its rider, "You can't hide from us!" I let a small smile emit from my face as I reached the edge of the grove and into the sight of the towns open gate. I slowed to a brisk jog, feeling my energy depleted.

"Cara?" I heard someone call from the gates as I neared, "What happened?" The guard stood off to the side and looked at me with much concern.

"The odd folk they spotted last night I assume," I answered, "They scared off my pony and chased me all of the way here."

"Didn't I warn ya to be careful?" he scolded as I crossed into the boundaries of Luneside breathing heavily, "Are you alright, lass?"

"Aye," I muttered, "Just need to catch my breath but I was careful!" He offered me a small flask that he pulled from his belt. I took a small swig of it expecting it to be water instead was watered down ale.

"Not too much!" he grumbled, "that's supposed to last me my shift!" I handed it back to him slightly irritated with his comment as I straightened my shirt and began a brisk walk back to the inn.

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I entered my room with a heavy heart and a tired and sore body. Instead of getting my things together I collapsed on my bed and cursed the beginning of my day. I silently prayed that the afternoon would go better than that morning. Purkoy took a small jump from the pocket of my arm onto the messy sheets. I ignored him as I thought about the cavern and that my parents would be safe.

My thoughts were interrupted from a knock on the door. I heard a key being inserted into the lock and I froze. Moving quickly, I grabbed the dagger that I had stashed under my pillow and waited for the door to open.

"Cara?" a soft voice whispered. The young stable boy poked his head in for a moment and widened his eyes at the sight of me.

"Boy," I grunted as I sheathed it and placed it back onto the bed, "What is it?" The door pushed open farther and the innkeeper stood behind him.

"You've caused quite a ruckus!" he scolded as he sighed, "We've got to be getting you to the barge now. Those bandits you've angered are going to be sure that you aren't to be leavin this town! We're gonna have to find a way to smuggle you out."

"I did not anger them! They attacked me! But if I am to leave without them knowing, then it should give me time to get ahead of them," I stated, "By any means, their arrogance and irritants have been a blessing." The look on the innkeepers face didn't seem to agree with what I had said.

"Quit with your foolishness," he hissed, "The lad is going to take one of your bags to the barge while I take the other on another route. You need to find a way to stay out of sight and get there before it leaves. Who knows if they've already got people in the town." I uttered a small growl under my breath for a second as I bit my lip and looked up at the ceiling.

"Give me a moment," I muttered as I began packing up the few things that I had taken out. After handing the smaller bag to the boy and the larger to the innkeeper I sat back down in frustration as they slung them over their shoulders and disappeared out the door.

Purkoy chirped at me.

"Shut it," I snapped as I grabbed the pillow and threw it across the room. It hit the wall with a soft pop and fell in a heap on the floor. I stood up and walked to the window just in time to see the small boy jog out with my pack on his shoulders. His small frame and dirty clothes reminded me of myself as a child over fifty years ago. Fifty years, so much time for the race of man. Those whom I had sort of grown up with were now all old with their own children and if not even their own grandchildren. A dwarf's life can be long and lonely when they are alone.

* * *

I waited a long hour at the window waiting for when I needed to be off. The misty day had faded away and the sun was now shining brightly overhead. With Purkoy cradled in the crest of my arm, I slipped from my room and began down the hallway to the dining area of the inn. Light was pouring in from the windows and lit it in a way that seemed to calm my anxious heart for a moment.

Snapping out of my short daze I began heading for the back door when I noticed someone sitting beside it who had been watching me for a moment. He had a long wooden pipe in his mouth and a smoke ring floated beside his head. Over his shoulders there was a gray cloak that was held together by a silver star over his left shoulder. My eyes made contact with his and a mutual recognition was acknowledged he was Aldiar, from the ranger corps.

"Rather far from where you should be," he muttered as I passed by. I glanced at him for a moment with a small smile on my face.

"I'm right where I need to be," I replied. He shook his head as his lips curved into a grin.

"Do you still have that 'relic'?" When I had met him previously, he was the one who helped me retrieve the Eye from my burned out home. All I could tell him was that it was from Erebor and that it cost my father his life.

"I might," I replied trying to be subtle. I got an uneasy feeling from him, mainly because it was his job to capture Thorkas after my father was killed. Instead Thorkas managed to find me and almost end my life and the lives of the line of Durin. But the Eye had no reaction to him so I chose to keep everything neutral.

"I got into town earlier this morning from the East," he stated, "I passed quite a few dwarves headed towards Hobbiton. Do you have any idea why they would be headed there?"

"Merchants?" I guessed although I had a sneaky suspicion that they were parts of Thorin's company.

"There were two of them who surely didn't appear as simple merchants. One of them had straw colored hair and the other had hair of coal. They seemed pretty young to dwarven standards." My heard skipped a beat but I managed to keep a straight face.

"Simply because I am a dwarf does not mean that I know the business of every dwarf who comes and goes," I muttered politely, "If you would excuse me." I restarted my efforts to get to the back door when Aldair rose from his chair.

"Where ya off to?" he called as he stretched, "I need to wake my legs up. Maybe it'd be alright if I come with you." Not wanting to arouse his suspicion I had no choice but to allow him to follow.

We walked through the back door into the sunlight. There was a delightful breeze that blew through the streets that we had once traveled down months ago when we met for the first time.

"What business have you here in Luneside?" I asked to break the silence.

"While I was tracking Thorkas I stumbled upon something that called for my attention," he replied, "My apologies for the events that unfolded because of my choices." They say how dwarves can hold grudges like no other race in the entirety of Middle Earth and that is an understatement. I could feel it festering in my heart as I looked on.

"It is in the past," I managed to hiss between my teeth, "What was so important you let him slip away?"

"He belonged to a group of bandits of men, orc and dwarves that have banded together. Many of them came from the Misty Mountains and beyond," he paused, "Is Thorin Oakenshield truly journeying to Erebor?"

"It is only a rumor," I said quickly as we approached a fork in our path, "I have no knowledge of his business."

"You did leave Luneside with him," he stated as we both came to a stop.

"He was merely an escort," I recanted, "When I arrived at his dwelling I was nothing more than his ward. He never involved me with his political or personal business."

"But what of that braid behind your ear? You may have been more than a ward to him." I felt my irritation towards him grow more as I brushed it back underneath the rest of my hair and out of sight.

"Whatever my relationship to him was is none of your concern nor any of your business. Good day to you Aldiar, may our paths cross again," I turned to take my leave on the left road but he stopped me by placing his hand on my shoulder.

"I meant no disrespect," he said looking down on me from his great height, "I understand the importance of what that represents." His hand seemed to gently graze the leather strap that was attached to what remained of the chain of the Eye.

I moved away cautiously.

"I need to be on my way, good day to you," I muttered politely as I shrugged his hand off and began down the road I had chosen. I didn't hear him follow as I turned a corner and looked up at the sun overhead. It seemed to be in the right position for the barge to be leaving so I quickened my pace towards the docks scolding myself for waiting so long. The docks were on the edge of town farthest away from the inn.

I passed by several familiar faces as I heard concerned and raised voices on the air coming from the streets I had just come from. It drew my attention away from my suspicious thoughts and I listened intently to them getting louder. The Eye went ice cold on my chest as a sudden high pitched cry and a loud horn rang throughout the streets. It was a familiar sound that I had heard only once before and it sent an arrow of fear into my heart. That horn was only used by the guards at the gate and it usually meant trouble. Lots of trouble.

I accelerated to a quick jog towards the docks and managed to see the boat that I had to be on. It was sitting next to five fishing boats, three of which, had been set on fire.

"Someone get some water!" I heard someone screech through the air as my feet thudded onto the wooden planks of the docks. The bargeman didn't seem to see me as he quickly began to set sail. There were dark figures that moved towards his ship with torches in their hands. I followed suit as the boat began to separate from the dock in a rushed panic.

"Watch out!" I shouted as I took my final step from the dock and threw myself into the air. I questioned my actions mid-leap when I saw that my angle was going to put me a bit shorter than I had intended. My knee slammed onto the side of the boat and I went crashing onto the deck in a jumbled heap. Purkoy let out a sharp cry as he escaped from my mess of limbs unharmed. He bounced over to a small corner behind a crate and huddled down in fear.

Feeling a bruise coming on I rolled to my feet and drew my sword. I brought it down on the arms of one of the attackers that had clashed swords with the bargeman. The man screamed in pain and surprise as I threw my elbow into his nose and he collapsed onto the deck. The sailor looked at me with shock as another approached emitting a loud battle cry.

"Get down!" I yelled at him as I caught my opponents sword before it could strike the young man. I threw it off quickly and parried another blow. The metal of our weapons rang across the deck with the other noise as the boat continued to move through the water. I could see smoke rising from the town as we drifted down the river still caught in the clashing of weapons. Such a sight hadn't been seen in over fifty years when the last bandit raid occurred which cost my uncle Beraim one of his eyes.

In my thought I failed to notice that the blade of my current opponent had fallen loose on my own and began to swing around towards me. There was a sudden blur of color and I saw that the young sailor that I had protected earlier had pulled me out of the way. His sleeve caught the brunt of the force and his arm had a deep gash on it. I quickly pushed him out of the way and thrust my sword deep into the gut of the disgusting creature.

"Are you alright?" I asked as I yanked my blade back out from his intestines and his body fell to the floor.

"Just a graze," the young man attempted to say cheerfully but it came out in more of a wince. I was impressed at his bravery and his quick thinking but I scolded myself for getting distracted.

"Let me see," I whispered as I pulled him down to my level. It looked as though it may need stitches.

"I'll patch you up…" I trailed off as I looked back at the town of Luneside. There were dark forms moving in the shadows of the buildings and at least three headed in our direction. They grew in size as I grasped the hilt of my blade and prepared for them to attack. One was on top of the wall we were gliding beside and two were on the ground. The one on the wall took a wild leap and landed on the mast.

"Get down!" I shouted to the bargeman as it scrambled down like a spider. I threw my sword at it in a flash of movement and it pinned it to the wood through its right shoulder blade. I turned back to see the other two in mid leap headed for us, their blackened faces were covered in rage and evil.

"Look out!" I heard the young man cry. One of them knocked me to the ground and I went spiraling to the wooden floor. Within moments they were on top of me and groping my neck for the chain of the Eye. I struggled against them, thrashing my arms and legs and kicked one of them in the nose. A loud shrill shriek rang from him as I landed a punch on the second attacker. They both released me for a moment as I back rolled and pounced to where my sword stuck.

I yanked it out of the mast when I heard a loud crack of bone. I looked over and one of them was already on the ground but his partner didn't seem to care as he approached me with a small mace in his hand. I deflected his first attack and managed to get in close to hit his nose again. His eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.

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**Okay here we go! Finally out of Luneside and on our way to the mountain! Huzzah! Sorry can't quite say much right now...mounds and loads of homework to be done!**

**Leave me some words of wisdom in the box below and may your beard grow ever longer!**


	6. Chapter 6

**CAN I HAVE THREE CHEERS FOR SALT LAKE'S COMIC CON: FANX! Holy snap it was amazing! If you haven't been to a comic con or any sort of geek convention like such, YOU MUST GO! Best experience ever! **

**I got a picture with Nathan Filion, Sir Patrick Stewart, THE RIDER OF ROHAN (Karl Urban O.O) and Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi from TNG) Got to shake hands with Adam Baldwin and Jonathan Frakes! Ahh! This girl can possibly die happy!**

**This has been a while but there are songs in here for you to admire! Names are at the end!**

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I looked back at Luneside. It was farther than I remembered. There was more smoke rising into the sky but the wind carried the screams and shouts in and out of our direction. At times it seemed to stand as silent ruins as fire flickered into view and dark forms moved to and fro on the wooden walls.

Purkoy came out of his hiding spot and uttered a small tune as he began pecking at the wood on the crate to get my attention. I walked over and picked him up to place him onto my shoulder.

"I'm sure glad you came along," the bargeman whispered as he pulled himself up onto the railing, "I'd have been slaughtered for sure." He gave me a warm cheerful smile even though I could see the pain inside his eyes.

"Do you have family back there?" I asked solemnly. The cheerfulness left him.

"My grandmother," he whispered, "She's a tough ol' bird. She can handle herself." I felt a ping of sympathy for this young man who tried to put a smile back on his face.

"You didn't have to do this for me," I stated as I looked back to Luneside which was getting smaller by the moment as the sails began to catch the wind which also brought the noise from the town.

"It is important that you get to where you need to go. I owed a favor anyways so it's no trouble by me," he gave me a large grin, "Your things are beside the crates over there and if it's no trouble to you. Would you be kind enough to sew this up for me?" He looked down on his arm which was still bleeding.

"Oh!" I stuttered, embarrassed at my manners, "Aye, of course. Just a moment more."

I began dragging the bodies of the deceased to the railing and I threw them into the water below. I found a medium length rope and tied down the unconscious one before I moved to my belongings. Inside of the small pack, I had a small case that held a needle and spool of thread. The young bargeman was hesitant to allow me to begin stitching his arm up but I finally managed to begin the painful procedure.

"Pardon our strange first encounter but I am Addran, son of Odran," he stated as I threaded the needle.

"Cara, daughter of Rodan. This is going to hurt," I stated frankly, "Bite down on this." I handed him a piece of thick rope to prevent him from biting his tongue. His cheerful demeanor was dampened a little as he placed it into his mouth with his other hand.

"Wait!" he said quickly as he took a deep breath. He held it for a moment and then gave me a nod. I pushed the needle through his skin and he grunted.

"Don't move," I muttered as I moved the needle through the skin quickly. I could almost feel his pain as the memory of the stitches that Dis had sewn into my arm came back.

"Are you finished yet?" he asked, his voice muffled by the rope in his mouth as I pulled the thread tight.

"Yes," I replied as I cut the string and tied it down. He let out a long breath of relief as I wiped the needle on my shirt before I put it back into the case.

"Thank you," he said with relief as he carefully adjusted his sleeve, "We should be coming up on the next town before nightfall. If you wish you can rest or anything." I raised the corner of my mouth for a moment and nodded. His brown eyes were alight with golden streaks from the sun and the freckles on his nose stood out like splatters of mud on a white sheet. He looked to be no older than twenty in the lifetime of a man. He was rather short in stature but large in the limbs. He rose from the spot he sat at and moved to the rudder. I walked across the deck to the front and sat down next to where my pack laid.

I gazed across the landscape at the green rolling hills that I had never seen before. There was a small amount of excitement that began to grow in my chest at the thought of exploring them. The far off places and the adventure that I was at first hesitant to go on. The romance of my situation seemed like something out of a fairy story and it foolishly gave me hope for the happily ever after I craved.

A small breeze blew next to my ear and then a deep throated voice from behind me.

"*_I hear your voice on the wind  
And I hear you call out my name_

_"Listen, my child," you say to me_  
_"I am the voice of your history_  
_Be not afraid, come follow me_  
_Answer my call, and I'll set you free"_

I looked back at the bargeman, who was singing. I heard whispers in my ear by the wind like the song said and the Eye grew warm in my bosom. I gazed over the land and saw the mountains in the distance. I imagined Erebor standing tall with a fire breathing dragon inside while listening to the young man's song.

_"__I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain  
I am the voice of your hunger and pain  
I am the voice that always is calling you  
I am the voice, I will remain_

I rose to my feet and began to hum the tune along as I leaned over the railing with my eyes fixed upon the flower covered hills.

_I am the voice in the fields when the summer's gone  
The dance of the leaves when the autumn winds blow  
Ne'er do I sleep thoughout all the cold winter long  
I am the force that in springtime will grow_

My eyes then moved and looked into the crystal clear water that flowed beneath the boat. I then looked up into the blue sky that had cotton clouds floating overhead that moved swiftly away from us. The little bird on my shoulder began to nudge the side of my face with his as the song continued.

_I am the voice of the past that will always be  
Filled with my sorrow and blood in my fields  
I am the voice of the future, bring me your peace  
Bring me your peace, and my wounds, they will heal_

_am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain_  
_I am the voice of your hunger and pain_  
_I am the voice that always is calling you_  
_I am the voice_

_I am the voice of the past that will always be_  
_I am the voice of your hunger and pain_  
_I am the voice of the future_  
_I am the voice, I am the voice_  
_I am the voice, I am the voice_"

He came to a stop with the song and grew quiet. The wind picked up and decided to favor the direction we required to go.

"Very well done," I called to him. He seemed surprised for a moment but it faded away.

"My father taught it to me," he called back, "A very long time ago that song would be sung to praise the wind for helping travelers get to their destinations. The practice has since faded but I do enjoy singing it."

"The wind seems to be pleased," I replied, "Perhaps you should sing another?" He smiled and shook his head.

"Alas, that is the only song that I know completely. Perhaps you have one to contribute?" I turned my attention back to the clear water that flowed beneath the barge.

"I may but it has been many years," I stated as I looked back at him. He bowed his head for a moment in a way to permit me to continue. I looked out to the rolling hills and began to hum the beginning before letting the words flow.

"*_Time is a river that flows endlessly  
And a life is a whisper, a kiss in a dream_

_adows dance behind the firelight_  
_And all the spirits of the night remind us:_  
_We are not alone_

_Tomorrow: a sun soon rising_  
_And yesterday is there beside us_  
_And it's never far away_

_If you listen to the wind you can hear me again_  
_Even when I'm gone you can still hear the song_  
_High up in the trees as it moves through the leaves_  
_Listen to the wind, there's no end to my..."_

I stopped, straining my memory to find the next verse.

"That's all I remember," I said regretfully after my short pause, "I'm sorry." I looked back at him. He had a beaming look on his face that shone in his eyes.

"The wind is pleased," he teased as he pulled the rudder to the left. I didn't realize it at first but the boat seemed to be moving a bit faster than it had before.

"My ears must be bleeding!" I heard a harsh voice from the other side of the boat. Both the bargeman and I looked at the dirty man tied on the deck.

"Silence your tongue!" Addran spat as he pushed the rudder back to the center. He fought to sit up and squirmed around like a worm as he laughed.

"You won't get far," he hissed as he rested his back against the railing, "We know where you're going."

"That isn't a great accomplishment," I snapped as I pulled my small dagger that was usually on my thigh out from my pack. I unsheathed it and walked over to him brandishing it in my hand. His face went into a sneer.

"You think that you can scare me Dwarf filth!?" he said as he showed his yellow and blackened teeth. I tried not to show it but I actually had no intention on killing him but I knew that he would attempt to follow me or even kill Addran for information.

"Not to scare you," I replied sternly, "just to ask a few questions. What's your name?" He burst into laughter for a moment before he spat in my direction.

"Torcall," he sneered.

"Torcall? You have a strong name, Torcall. Sad enough that it was given to such a coward," I replied thoughtfully. His face went stone cold but I could see the anger in his eyes.

"I am no coward!" he whispered harshly.

"You could have fooled me," I mocked as I began pacing in front of him; "You and your kind seem to enjoy being above my kind. Attacking us when we are alone and when fate favors you." I looked up at Addran and gave him a small wink. He seemed confused at the motion but chose to say nothing.

"We are above you!" he fought back.

"In stature yes," I replied quickly, "but isn't it a shame when you have six men to one dwarf? Doesn't that seem to reinforce the idea that we dwarves are above you?"

"One on one, I can destroy you!" he argued, "but our orders were to capture you alive."

"Oh," I replied simply, "I know that. I know a lot more than you have been led to believe. I have been running out of reasons to keep you alive." I squatted down to his level and began playing with the knife in front of him. He struggled against his bindings but I had made sure that they were tight enough to keep him in discomfort but not to suffocate him.

"I would be a dead man if I were to return without you anyways," he grunted, "You would be doing me a favor."

"A favor?" I raised an eyebrow, "That is an odd request. As long as I have been alive I have known that the one thing a coward values more than anything is his life." I began to run the blade down his leg. He tensed and a flash of fear appeared in his eyes.

There it was.

"But since you have no use I guess I should end your misery," I began as I stood back up and wiped the blade on my sleeve for effect.

"Wait!" he squeaked as he flinched, "I know something that could help you! If you let me go I will tell you!"

"What is it that you could offer me? I already know that your band is going to pursue me and that your orders are to keep me alive."

"I know the exact plans of those who pursue you!" he said quickly. I moved in a split second and yanked his head back by his hair to put the knife on his neck.

"If you know what is good for you, you will continue!" I hissed as quietly as I could muster, "Tell me everything!"

"These plans have been in the making for almost sixty years. It started with my grandfather who was hired by a dwarf named Thorkas to seek out your mother. He cooked up the idea of tracking your mother down and taking her to Erebor! He and his company from the Iron Hills hired my grandfather's band of thieves to gather information! When they discovered that your mother had drowned and that you were the heir to the Eye Thorkas disbanded them. He said that we wouldn't be able to wait as long as he could."

"What does he mean?" I heard Addran call.

"Dwarves live longer than men Master Bargeman by a sum of a hundred and fifty years," I called back before I hissed, "Continue."

"He abandoned his quest for this long waiting for you to come of an appropriate age. He killed off your father to prevent anyone from coming to your rescue when he decided to take you. When Thorin Oakenshield appeared on the day of the attack it was completely unexpected and the plans were thrown to the wind. You managed to slip away in the night but I managed to track you down and tried to stop you." His eyes dropped to the scar on my arm, "Sorry about that. Once I told Thorkas of your situation."

"Enough!" I snapped, "I don't need to know how he planned on getting to me from inside of the mountain! I know what Thorkas has done and that he is dead! I killed him myself! If you value any more of your pitiful life you will tell me what I need to know!"

"They plan to intercept you outside of Bree!" he stuttered as I carefully pushed the knife harder on his throat, "There's a new leader! The scarred one! He never revealed his name to me or to anyone! He was Thorkas's right hand dwarf! If anything he's even more ruthless! His plan is chase you all of the way to Erebor if that is what it takes!"

"What of the dragon?" I asked.

"Their new plan was to capture you and wait for Thorin and company to either kill the beast or to die trying."

* * *

**Okay so bar below this is making me angry!**

***I hear your voice on the wind: This song is called 'The Voice' and it is by Celtic Woman**

***Time is a river that flows endlessly: This is called 'Listen to the Wind' by Hayley Westena**

**Alright so I can see that Fanfiction has decided to change their upload box here...it's kinda throwing me off so if this chapter looks different than the others I apologize...I'll figure this thing out eventually...**

**So I hope you enjoyed this and I ask that you leave a few words of wisdom in the box below!**


	7. Chapter 7

**So today isn't exactly the best day...woke up with a blasted headache and stuffy nose...Irritating as crap!**

**Alright so there is one * in this chapter. I know I haven't really been doing them like I did in my first story, even though last chapter had a few songs, but here's one for you to take a look at. (minus the musical accompaniment)**

* * *

The sun began to set as I watched a small riverside town come into view. I stood on the front of the boat with my arms crossed. Purkoy sat upon my shoulder half asleep with his wing still tucked to the side of his body. Addran hadn't said a word since our small chat after the interrogation.

"You weren't really going to hurt him, right?" he asked as I approached him, tucking the knife back into its sheath.

"Not unless I had to," I replied.

"Are you going to let him go?"

"Most likely not."

"Are you going to kill him?"

"No." He seemed to sigh in relief.

"What are you going to do with him?" I pondered for a moment.

"I'm not sure. Turn him over to the authorities, I presume. Let them deal with him. I'm sure he has more than one bounty on his head."

"But they'll kill him!"

"It's none of my concern. His crimes are his own and not my problem." Addran took a deep breath as the town neared. The wind had stopped so we were relying solely on the currents of the river.

"But he told you what you needed to know."

"It was only fair. I spared his life, unlike his companions that I tossed over the side, so it is only fitting that he talks."

He had remained silent after that.

I watched the town closely to be sure that there was nothing amiss. Torches had begun to burn to compensate for the dying light. Voices were carried on the air that had long since ceased moving. Everything looked as if it were in their proper states, so I relaxed a little and my heart slowed.

I looked back at Torcall who was back to his stern self and had a scowl on his face. My initial plan was to leave him with the town and have them deal out the consequences. I secretly hoped that they wouldn't be too harsh but I knew that for whatever he had done that it was justice served.

"Oi! Who goes there?" a deep and old voice called from down the river.

"It's just me, you old fool!" Addran shouted back.

"That's the first time that I have heard someone call themselves me for two people!" the old voice replied.

"Just some passengers, nothing more!" The dock came into my line of sight and on an old rickety rocking chair was being rocked by a crooked old man.

"Strange folk yer associating with young Addran!" The boat floated to the docks and Addran swung from his position by the rudder to the side of the boat to tie it down.

"Luneside was attacked by a bandit raid," he muttered to the old man, "We managed to get away before they set my barge on fire."

"What of yer grandmother?" Addran stopped.

"I-I don't know." The old man's eyes dropped for a moment before he began to pull himself from his seat.

"What business does a dwarf such as yerself want with our little town?" he said as I pulled my packs onto my back.

"Just passing through," I replied simply as I stepped off the barge.

"What of the man yer got tied up there?"

"That is for the council of your town to decide. He is no longer my concern." I tossed Addran a small coin and nodded my thanks.

"Are you going to be alright Mistress Dwarf?" he asked as I picked Purkoy off from my shoulder and let him rest in my hands.

"I will," I stated giving him a small wave and continuing on to the streets of the town. They were similar to Luneside but everything seemed to have a darker tone. Even the wooden beams that held up roofs and shops were shades darker than the familiar pine that I was used to. Unsure if it was a foretelling of my journey or if it was just mere coincidence, I continued through the eerie streets looking for the inn. When I found it, it was a rather tall building and was shaped very differently than the one in Luneside. It sat beside the west gates of town which seemed almost ideal for my situation.

I walked in the doors to be greeted by a loud and rambunctious gathering taking place on the farthest side of the room. A short and stout woman was running from table to table with plates and mugs in her hands. It took a moment for her to notice that I had walked in.

"Just find a spot!" she called to me as she skillfully dodged the unconscious body that had fallen just seconds before. I found a small table to the left of the fireplace that seemed out of the way and took my packs off. The chair was wobbly and the table was built for a much bigger individual. I felt like a child once more at my father's table.

"Ere ya go," the woman said to me as she placed the plate on the table before me, "Anythin else you'll be needin?"

"Thank you," I replied, "Do you know of anyone willing to part with a pony by tomorrow morning?" She looked at me with a confused expression.

"Tomorrow?" she replied pausing for a moment, "The only man around who may have a spare pony to sell would be 'ight over there." She pointed to a man that sat in a circle of people who seemed to be drinking more than he could handle.

"Which one?" I asked secretly hoping that there was someone else a bit more rational this time of night.

"The grey hood. Ya can't miss him," she recounted before she bustled off to finish her duties. I inwardly groaned as I pulled apart a slice of bread and let Purkoy peck at it. My appetite had faltered when I saw the man sitting across from him turn and empty the contents of his stomach onto the floor. The people around them erupted into cheers as bags of money began exchanging hands.

"Any more challengers?" the man yelled as he stood and threw his hands in the air. There were no immediate takers to his proclamation and he erupted in laughter as he fell back into his chair. I quietly began nibbling on the slice of cheese as I cautiously watched the man in the grey hood. He seemed incredibly arrogant and seemed to have an authoritative presence even in his drunken state. Approaching him now wouldn't be the smartest idea, so I sat quietly and waited for the tone of the room to die down as the night continued.

During my waiting period, I had managed to acquire a room for the night and to keep an eye on the grey hood. It had moved from his table only once to harass the poor stout woman as she tried to flee from his drunken wandering hands. Luckily the man that was sitting beside him, with a black hood over his head, pulled him back. I could see his face only when the flickering of the fire's light hit his face just right. He had black stubble on his chin and equally gray eyes, a hard jaw line and a small nose. I wasn't sure if the small white line that traced from the corner of his mouth the bottom of his nose was a scar or maybe dried foam from his ale.

Trying to be seen as nothing more than another face in the crowd I rose from my chair leaving the bare plate. I carefully picked up Purkoy and rested him upon my shoulder as I casually approached the table.

"May I sit?" I asked gruffly as I motioned to the empty third chair. The grey hooded man nodded and leaned back.

"What is a hairless dwarf doing here in my town?" he sputtered drunkenly. I was insulted at his obvious overlook of my sideburns but I fought to ignore it.

"Word is that you may have a pony to spare," I began.

"I may," he replied drunkenly as he uttered a small chuckle. His head seemed as loose and an infant's as he looked at the man sitting next to him.

"We have a few extra ponies in the herd that are travel worthy," the black hooded man stated, obviously more sober, "Is there a specific one in particular you are in need of?"

"One that will endure a long journey and not easily spooked," I simply stated. The pair looked at each other for a split second until the drunkard began giggling like a girl.

"I must apologize for my father's behavior," the black hooded man said as he removed the hood from his head, "He is very well known for his merriment." His gray eyes began flickering with the flames from the fireplace. He had a youthful glow to his face although he may have been at least three decades old.

"There is nothing to apologize for," I replied with a wave of my hand, "Merriment is nothing to be ashamed of." The gray hooded man nodded and raised his glass.

"May your bead start growing!" he chuckled as he took a long swig of the liquid, "I think we can do business, good sir!" The young man took a deep breath and a small swig of his own drink. He pushed back his long dark locks and rose from his seat.

"When is it that you will be needing this mount?"

"By the sunrise," I replied as I followed suit, "I have pressing matters that have the upmost urgency."

"Sunrise?" he asked quickly, "What business prevents one from eating a full breakfast?"

"Urgent business," I replied politely, "I'll be willing to pay any reasonable price." The young man pondered this for a moment before he nodded, pulling his father out of his chair.

"It is time for father to turn in. Once we get him back into the safety our home I shall take you to the stables where you may select a steed." Purkoy's talons began to curl into my shoulder for a second as I followed the man out with his father leaning heavily on his shoulder. I could feel a tension coming from the small bird and understood the mistrust that came from him. I didn't trust this man either but what choice had I?

I followed their figures through the torch lit streets. The shadows of the buildings bounced to and fro as wild shouts and glass shattering came from various sources. I felt disoriented as sounds bounced around me keeping their starting points hidden from my ears. I pulled my cloak tightly around my arms as a cold breeze blew through the alleyway we had turned into.

"Master Dwooorf?" the father sputtered, "You still dere?" His voice seemed to sputter and crack as he burst into laughter.

"Aye," I called up to him, "I'm still here." The son looked back at me for a moment with an apologetic look in his eyes. I tried to hide my irritation under the cowl of my hood as we exited the alleyway and onto what looked like a private street. A large house stood at the end of the road with another building off on the right side. I could see stalls inside of the second building; some were filled with ponies and mules and others were empty.

"If you would wait here," the son asked as he attempted to look over his shoulder, "*Getif!" A small man came running up from the stables to where we stood.

"Yes, milord?" he said as he stood at attention.

"Escort him to the stables to look at the extra ponies that we have," the son stated as he readjusted his father's weight on his shoulder, "I'll join you shortly." The small man bowed and then ushered me to follow him. I didn't have much of a choice as we moved through the moonlit air towards the lantern lit stables. We entered the building through a side door and the animals inside began to stir from the noise that we made. A rather large dog yawned from his small bed of hay and looked at us with tired gray ringed eyes as we passed.

"We've only got three extras," the man said as he led me to the first stall, "this is Milly. She's very spirited and is a very social animal. Good around people, particularly around children, you can't teach that to an animal." She was a nice tanned color with what looked to be a white mane. Her eyes looked like they were filled with curiosity and interest towards me.

"Let's see the others," I said feeling uneasy about the way Milly was staring at me. The small man led me over to two that were sharing a stall. One was completely black and the other was a soft gray with darker gray mane.

"Fury is the black stallion, he's strong and young but has been quite the problem with training. A little headstrong for my taste," the man gave it a look before continuing, "Hafaleil is the gray gelding* and he's quite the trouble maker. He's the youngest of the three but still as strong as Hafaleil. A little on the rough side with riders but really good at running away from trouble." I bit my lip as I looked at each of the ponies. They all looked good enough for me to literally ride across the known world.

"Which would you recommend?" I asked.

"Have you had much experience with ponies?" I shook my head.

"I haven't had many good experiences on the road. I've had unfortunate luck with bandits."

"Well," he began as he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall looking from Milly's stall to the pair of ponies in the one in front of us, "Milly might be your proper choice for yer inexperience but Hafaleil would be the best choice if your unfortunate luck continues." If ponies had eyebrows both of them would have had one raised. Purkoy let out a small toot as he turned his head confusedly and began walking towards my arm. I raised it so that he could get a closer look at the gelding.

Hafaleil moved towards the bird and they seemed to look at one another with confusion and almost a twinge of humor.

* * *

**Getif: So I kinda stole this from the Star Trek movie with Chris Pine as Kirk. I just didn't want to use proper brain power to come up with a name for this guy and so I stole it...and because its fun to say! Don't you hear Scotty's voice in your head when you read it!?**

**Gelding: Since I am not a horse kind of person I had to look this up, if you're a horse person you'll know, but if not, it's a male horse that has had his 'manhood' removed. So because of this he is less aggressive than a stallion (a male horse with his 'manhood') and much easier to work with and train.**

**I'm not sure if you know or have noticed that I am trying really hard to not have the animals have too much personality. I've read a lot of stories that have the main character with a 'pet' so to say and it's always bothered me. So I'm not sure if I'm a hypocrite or not...cause if you hadn't known, dwarves aren't quite fond of animals. They don't even have real pets! No dogs, cats or whatever people in Middle Earth keep as pets. **

**But keep this in mind...I probably won't keep Purkoy around forever because dwarves don't keep pets and I've always felt that when a main character has a pet it kinda distracts from them entirely...so I guess I am a hypocrite...sorry guys... I will fix this sometime soon.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Stressful, stressful, stressful...Sorry this is a day late...but at least it is here now :)**

**Okay so the * in here are a little strange..the second one is improvised and the first is kinda from research and kinda not. **

* * *

"Hafaleil?" the young man said when I told him of my decision, "Are you sure?"

"Unless you object sir?" He stood there a moment looking in on the two ponies who had decided that we were the most interesting things in the room. Furry nudged the man's arm with affection expecting a rub on the nose.

"No," he replied, "He is a fine steed. He will suit you well."

"What is the payment that I owe you?" I asked as I felt Purkoy move back down my arm to get another look at the gelding who was still as curious as before.

"A fair price I would ask is *seven silver pennies," he replied. I debated the offer for a moment hardly knowing if it was fair or not. I was attuned to the pricing of jewelry and precious stones not the pricing of beasts.

Before I spoke I noticed a small exchange of a glance between the horse master and the man of the house. Father once taught me long ago to know when I was being cheated especially when merchants were coming through with gems from the Blue Mountains. Although I was inexperienced with the techniques of animal worth, I was certainly trained with knowing how to cheat a cheater.

"Seven?" I pondered as I looked back at the young pony that seemed to have a conversation with Purkoy through their held gaze.

"That is my price," he stated sternly. I raised my eyebrows for a moment as I had seen my father do before. Seven pennies wasn't a great amount from the pouch of funds that I had cleverly hidden but I knew that I had to give the impression that I was a proper businesswoman. My father warned me that those who would look to cheat me out usually upped or doubled the price when it came to those with inexperience. This man could obviously tell that I was inexperienced with this sort of business trade. First rule of bargaining, be ready to walk away, was already compromised with my need to have the pony by the morning.

"I'm afraid all I can part with is five," I replied remembering another rule to never accept the first offer. The man stood there rubbing the nose of the stallion for a moment in debate.

"He is a good steed worthy of seven but in your urgency I shall meet you in the middle," he said, "Six silver pennies." Since his price had changed that my suspicions were correct that he was overcharging me.

"I'm afraid five is still all I can offer," I said regretfully, "My journey is long and my purse small." That, of course, was a lie but he didn't need to know that. He sat in thought for a moment and it made me rather cautious that he was considering my offer. Merchants usually never broke down this fast.

"I shall accept your offer of five," he stated. I silently cursed myself figuring that it was still over the expected value but I gave him a smile none the less. I reached into the small purse that I had on my belt and pulled out the required amount. He stretched out his hand and I dropped in each one counting them as I went. He pulled his hand back and recounted them with eagerness.

"If you would Master Dwarf," Getif began as he began to open the latch on the door. I stepped back as he reached over to grab a halter and opened the door. He easily slipped the halter on the head of the pony and guided him out. He had a long dark grey mane that looked as though there was no care to it and the same colored spots along his shoulders and down his back. He looked strong and there was a sort of confidence in the way that this animal walked.

"Will you be needing anything else?" the young man asked after Getif handed me the reins and disappeared through the side door. I looked at the pony for a moment.

"Equipment?" I suggested, "A saddle." A smile spread across the young man's face which made my stomach curl. The Eye went slightly cold for a moment.

"I may have a spare for just one more silver coin," he stated as he turned and began walking toward another stall. He swung open the door and walked in. Purkoy gave off a low and cautious note as he looked past the pony to the open door. The man walked out with an old and well broken in saddle that looked to be slightly bigger than I would have preferred.

"It will do," I replied, "But I cannot afford another silver penny. I can give you three coppers*?" I reached into a different purse with a small amount of coins and managed to pull them out. Items of leather aren't meant to be that expensive.

"I can accept that," he said as his eyebrow seemed to twitch. Again I dropped it into his outstretched hand after he had placed the saddle onto the ground beside the pony.

"Pleasure doing business with you," I replied as I picked up the load myself and threw it over the back of the animal. Purkoy climbed up my arm and began to inspect the saddle as I began tightening the straps. The young man moved close to the animal as I tightened the last strap, there was a loud slap and suddenly the pony lurched forward. I clung to the strap as I fell to the ground, the animal dragging me towards the barn door with laughter echoing from behind.

Purkoy let out a loud panicky note as I struggled to get back to my feet before we reached the street outside. I felt my legs burning as the animal leaped off of the steps and began to run into the street. The uneven cobblestones began to rip my trousers and pull at the cloak that was tied around my neck as I tried to pull my feet underneath me.

"Infernal animal!" I snapped as I managed to reach to one of the reins that were flapping wildly in the wind. I pulled hard on it and Hafaleil made a sharp turn to the left. He kept turning until I managed to keep him going in a circle and slowed him enough for me to make it back to my feet.

"Stop him! He's stealing my pony!" I heard from behind me. I looked back to see the young man strutting down the street calling for help over and over. I uttered a growl from under my breath realizing that it had all been a trick. I began quickly gathering what I could from the remnants of my shredded packs. There wasn't much that had fallen out but it took precious time to gather them back up and get them tied down to the back of the saddle.

"Stop him!" I heard again as the man got closer, he had even picked up his pace and was almost in a full run. I was amazed at how far this beast had drug me and that it was a miracle that Purkoy hadn't fallen off.

There were more voices now. People were leaking onto the abandoned street and a dull roar began coming from an alleyway to my right. I looked into it and small orange balls of light began to bob towards me. The roar got louder and swiftly I snatched the horn of the saddle and pulled myself into the large seat. I carefully and quickly moved Purkoy from his place on the mane of the pony and into a saddle bag.

I kicked the sides of the animal as the crowd neared and the pony began to move forward but then stopped when our way had been blocked.

"Attercop!" I hissed as I grouped the long reins in my hands and struck the patch of skin that was behind me. Hafaleil lurched forward and we went bounding through the road and the crowds.

As we raced through the streets I pulled continuously on the reins as people seemed to come out of the shadows like ants from an ant hill. With a small sliver of the moon that night I fought to get to the west side of town using it as a guide by glancing over my shoulder and running away from it. But although I kept running westward I would find myself in alley after alley.

"Stop him!" I heard behind me when I ran into a third alleyway.

"I don't have time for this!" I cursed as I whipped the gelding around and drew my sword. Three of the town guardsmen had managed to block me in. Hafaleil reared in panic which led my heart to stop at the sudden movement. I clung to the reins as if they were my only salvation until he landed back to the ground. We were still stuck as the guards began to advance. I slammed my boots into the pony which forced him to move forward quickly. He took a leap and managed to knock down the middle guard with opened up a path for us.

We turned onto a southbound road and I attempted to slow the animal.

"We're going the wrong way!" I urged him as I tried to turn him around, "West you ignorant beast!"

The Eye suddenly went warm on my chest and caught me off guard. The animal used my hesitation to bolt forward like lightning to get away from the remaining guards behind us. There was no controlling this animal as I clung onto him until the path turned to the right. There was a large gate at the end of the road that was in the stages of beginning to close.

"Close the gates! He's a thief!" I heard from behind me. I was impressed at how quickly word traveled for a split second as I ushered my mount to hurry. There were two armored and armed guards, with their long spears pointed at the chest of my pony, which stood in front of the gates, which stopped closing. I pulled back on the reins to slow the animal down just out of reach for the guards to grab him. I took a leap from Hafaleil's back with my sword drawn and knocked away the long poles that were in their hands.

The one nearest to me dropped his but pulled out his own sword in the same motion. We lunged at each other and our blades sung a high pitched squeal. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the second one reaching for his as the first took another lunge at me. I moved skillfully out of the way and parried the second's oncoming blow. I shoved him backwards and turned again to the first. They were both between me and the doors again facing me like honorable opponents.

"I'll get him!" I heard from the first one as he raised his sword. I blocked his downward thrust with ease and managed to throw him to the right. His left hand came off his hilt and managed to hit me across the face. In my shock, he managed to regain his footing and came at me once more as I began hearing the loud rumbling of the crowds that were approaching.

"Don't let him escape!" the first one yelled to the second one while we were in a stalemate of strength. The other nodded and headed towards a large crank that I assumed would shut the gates of the town and seal me in. I growled in anger as I pushed off the ground with my legs which made him stagger backwards. I rushed at him and threw a wild punch into his face. As he fell onto his backside dazed I rushed back to the frightened pony and grabbed his reins. I pulled him forward and crawled onto his back.

Once again on his back I dug my heels into his ribs and we shot forward towards the closing gates. The second guard began attempting to twist the crank like a madman but fortune was on my side for once. The lights of the town disappeared as my mount and I passed through the gates like water through a broken dam.

* * *

**Seven silver pennies: okay so from the first Lord of the Rings book, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin get ponies while they are in Bree. I looked this up and it said that a pony was worth about four silver pennies...so I decided to up it a little bit to go with the story.**

**Three coppers: I totally made this up. There is like NOTHING around that had information on Middle Earth money...so I had to improvise.**

**So the reason that this is a day late...haha funny story there...So I went home for the weekend and I decided to bring my laptop with me. Everybody has been totally stressed the past few weeks and so I just wanted to go home to be with them and HA what do ya know! I forgot my charger and it had died before I had even left to go...So haha stupid moment for me!**

**And I know that this chapter is WAY short but I just wanted to get out of this town and just to get the ball rolling! So I hope that it's okay for now!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay...So I'm really behind schedule now...I moved back home after school was done and have spent the last two days unpacking and getting my old room to look different. You know...Moving furniture and actually cleaning the dusty corners of my hundred year old room! (Just kidding it's only like thirty) **

**So now that school is actually finally done! HUZZAH! I will hopefully be able to make this story a bit more interesting because I personally feel like it's been pretty dry, mainly because I've been busy with other things and have been struggling to get it done on time...**

**So here you go with chapter nine! **

**(And BIG HUGS for those that have reviewed thus far! **Dalonega Noquisi & drwatsonn **You really have helped a lot with this!)**

**If you haven't reviewed leave me a few words of wisdom below!**

**There are like a bazillion * in here just because it's a lot of Khuzdul! **

* * *

The lights that shone on the ground quickly faded as we got farther and farther from the town. Hafaleil's hard pants were the only other thing I could hear over the pounding of my own heart as I glanced over my shoulder at the solid gates that hadn't been reopened. I inwardly sighed in relief as I slowed the pony to a brisk walk and gave him a chance to catch his breath.

I looked up at the half moon that was hanging in the sky and it gave me a little light to go by but not quite enough for me to feel comfortable. The Eye had returned to its regular temperature as I scanned the landscape for anything that could be in the shadows. Finding nothing I pulled it out and into the moonlight. The leather that held it around my neck had rubbed enough to leave my skin with an irritating burn.

"Another hour," I whispered to myself as I glanced back at the town behind me while putting the Eye back under my second shirt. I could feel the effects of fatigue as I let out a deep yawn and began fighting to keep my eyes open.

I finally awoke to a soft chirp from Purkoy who was still resting in the saddle bag. He was pulling at the bandage that Marion had put on him back in Luneside.

"Not yet," I muttered as I began rubbing my eyes and sat up. The small area that I had found to rest for the night was behind a group of three trees that had a small hill nearby to block my pony from being seen from the road.

When the hour that I had given myself was up I had nearly fallen from the saddle as the events of that day rushed at me. My energy had drained quickly and I had just enough to walk a ways into the tree line and was lucky enough to find my current location. I used the saddle as a pillow and my cloak as a makeshift blanket as sleep had overtaken me.

"Alright," I muttered as I rose to my feet, shaking out the leaves and stray twigs from my cloak. I stretched before I reached into one of my packs to pull out a small bundle of dried meat. I removed a small piece and began chewing on it as I also removed a biscuit from another bundle and took a bite. I groaned with my mouth full as I began to stretch my back and to shake the morning dew from my hair.

"Ready to go?" I asked the pony who happened to be behind me. I turned to him and he gave me a blank expression. I sighed as I reached down to the saddle and lifted it. I swung it over the side of the animal and tightened it down cautiously, waiting for any sudden movements. When none were made I began to tie the packs back down before I began to lead the animal out of the woods and back to the road.

I climbed onto the saddle and we began our journey once more. Feeling slightly relieved at the thought that I was finally back on my way with nothing but a smooth ride to the Shire. With that thought crossing my mind I reached for my map and pulled it out. I looked at it long and hard as the sun continued to rise behind me and cast a long shadow in front of me. From what I could guess I was probably a day or two's ride from the outside border of the Shire.

My thoughts were interrupted by a chirp from the saddle bag. Purkoy popped his head out and began to try and wiggle his way out from under the lid. After re-folding and putting the map back into its place I reached in and pulled him out from the bag. He rested snugly in my bulky hands as I began to examine the bandage that seemed to be starting to come off.

"It's almost been three days," I stated as I began pulling it apart, "I guess it couldn't hurt to take a look." It came off relatively easily and Purkoy eagerly stretched it out. He gave me a grateful head tilt before he began flapping his wing. He then let out a pain filled chirp and stopped the movement.

"Alright," I muttered, "Too soon." He then sat down on my hand and pulled his wing in close to his body.

I let him stay there as we continued along the road for another hour or so with nothing really catching my attention. The sun was beginning to rise from the top of the mountains that were behind me that shortened my shadow significantly. Occasionally I pulled the map back out and checked to be sure that I was still heading in the correct direction but only to pass the time. The landscape was getting relatively boring and repetitive and my continuous worry filled thoughts were giving me a headache.

The main thought that kept reappearing in my head was that this was a very flat area. Should any bandits or even members of Thorin's company be overlooking this area I could easily be seen. Maybe just a small undecipherable figure to their keen eyes but I would definitely be noticed nonetheless. I tried to keep calm at the thought that there might be others on this patch of flat land with me that could compromise my mission.

My paranoia grew as a breeze began to blow through the area stirring up strange noises that my ears detected as voices. Although there was truly no one to be seen, I pressed my knees into the pony's sides to entice him to pick up the pace. He complied and we began accelerating slowly.

"I…something…mutton," the voices on the wind whispered to me as it blew by my ears. A large hill stood before us as we traveled across the ground. At first it seemed as not a problem as we began climbing it on a small side path that looked much easier to travel on than the road itself but I was stricken with fear when we reached the top. I looked down to see the remnants of a campsite that wasn't more than a half an hour old that was skillfully hidden in the side of the hill. I would have missed it if my paranoia hadn't kicked in earlier.

"Oh Mahal," I whispered to myself as I began scanning the area for any moving forms that could be nearby. The only thing that I could see, besides the rolling hills of green grass, was a small cloud of dust that was drifting through the air from farther down the road.

I froze in the saddle not sure what to do. If I were to continue I could risk getting caught by those whom I felt were in the company. No bandit would be taking the road in this fashion. If I stayed here to wait I could risk getting seen by others in the company that I was sure were coming in the same direction.

There was nothing else that I could do besides continuing but while being so close to these potential members of the company risked exposure. Exposure meant certain failure.

Purkoy nudged my fingers and looked up at me quizzically. I began gently rubbing the top of his head as I struggled to come to a decision. I looked over my shoulder hoping that the answer would be there but there was nothing but the grassy fields that I had already crossed ignoring a long loop in the road. It was as still as pond water, the stalks of grass frozen in their stances and the wildflowers not yet opened to the sunlight.

I grabbed the reins and kicked Hafaleil's sides. We went down the hillside rather quickly and onto the dirt path that began at the end of the hill. The Eye began to get cold with nerves I could only guess.

The wind continued to blow their voices down towards me as I continued from behind them. I tried to stay on the edges of the road to not blow up so much dirt that could reveal that they were being followed.

"Do ya think…aren't right," bits and pieces were coming through but not enough of the conversation for me to actually make sense of what they were saying. It almost irritated me as my curiosity grew. The voices sounded familiar although they were so far away and against my better judgment I slowly began to catch up to them.

It didn't take long to be within a good distance to hear the conversation and not get spotted.

"We're not even a part of Thorin's kin. Why should we even be going?" the first voice muttered angrily.

"Because, this is the kind of adventure that we have been looking for!" my heart stopped for a moment. That was Bofur's voice.

"And it is our duty to the king!" This voice was strangely familiar although they were speaking in khuzdul*. The road curved in a sort of way so that I couldn't see them but it was to eventually straighten out which would give me away if they were to turn and look. The Eye kept sending small cold pulses through my chest angrily as I attempted to look for another route so I wouldn't be caught.

"Ah!" Bofur sighed, "The fame and glory when we finally reach the mountain! There'll be songs and tales that shall withstand the test of time!" I heard hearty laughs from their direction and encouraging comments. A part of me was almost jealous that their journey was to be so popular and famous and that mine was to be nothing more than an unknown part of our people's history.

I pulled on the reins and directed Hafaleil to the shrubbery that was along the roadside. It was thick and could be uncomfortable for both the pony and myself but if I was going to find a way past the three dwarves ahead of me this was it.

Hafaleil was stubborn at first and unwilling to continue through the first few bushes but they eventually went away. Everything got thinner and our detour was easier but the voices were still there. The wind blew them in and out of my hearing and sometimes to the point that it was like they weren't there at all. There were other noises too, birds chirping in the distance and with them flying through the trees around me. The grass and fallen branches from last autumn crunched beneath the hooves of my pony as I struggled to find the road once more over the ever growing shrubbery.

"Wait!" the wind blew the voice my way, "What's…over there?" I held my breath as I looked in the direction that I thought the voices had come from while pulling the hood of my cloak over my face.

"Looks…another traveler," I heard Bofur say as I urged Hafaleil to continue, "The road is over here!" His voice was much clearer when he called to me but I chose to ignore him.

"Didn't…hear," the first muttered. I pretended not to hear them and managed to climb onto the road only to find that it happened to straighten out earlier than I had thought.

"Oi!" Bofur called again, "You heading this way too?" I fought the urge to turn and look in fear that I would be recognized. The Eye was ice cold on my chest and seemed to be getting colder.

"Gamut manan*!" I heard Bifur pitch in.

"Gamut manun Khuzd*!" I called back in my best attempt at a gruff voice only turning my head enough to be sure my voice was heard. The Eye began taking my breath away with its temperature.

"Caku men rasp?*" Bifur replied I heard their ponies pick up the pace which in turn forced my heart to do the same.

"Gamut ai-menu, jemut men,*" I replied as I hung my head to keep the cowl of the hood overshadowing my face.

"What's with the secrecy?" Bofur asked apparently beside me now, "We're all kin here."

"Gajut hi*," I heard Bifur scold from the other side of me.

"You should be cautious of travelers on roads such as these," I muttered gruffly as I coughed to hide my voice.

"There's nothin to fear on these paths!" Bofur replied merrily, "Been down 'em many times myself!"

"There's much to fear," I uttered, "Farewell to you."

"Wait a moment!" Bofur said hastily as he put his hand on my arm, "What is yer name?"

"None of your concern," I replied.

"But you are of our kin," he argued, "Surely you must know one of us. I'm Bofur along with my brother Bombur and my cousin Bifur!"

"I know who you are," I answered.

"Well then tell us yer name? It is unfair that one should know us but that we should not know them." I gritted my teeth at his eagerness and happy tone.

"You should just leave him alone," I heard the third dwarf Bombur whisper. Bofur began talking to him as I scanned my mind to figure a way out of this. A memory flashed through my head of the toy shop and what Bifur had given me.

"Ai-Menu torvinh, menu bâhzundush*?" I grunted as I turned to look at Bifur with his cousins still quarreling. It was enough of a turn to reveal part of my face and I saw the instant recognition in his eyes as I mouthed, 'let me go.' He seemed a little confused at the motion but he made a small hand gesture* that signaled that he would remain silent.

"Rasup gamut* Bifur," I whispered just loud enough for him to hear. He gave me a small smile earning a thankful one from me in return. He made another hand sign, wishing me a safe journey and that he would watch over Fili for me. I asked how he knew and he gave me a small smile as his eyes twinkled. He began signing that they saw them last night and that they had left before them, only an hour or so ahead.

* * *

**Alright so I'm just going to break down the whole conversation for you. **

**(The first sentence 'and it is our duty to the king' I had no idea how to do so I put it that way...sorry for inconsistency.**

**Bifur, **Gamut manan,**: Good Day!**

**Cara, **Gamut manun Khuzd, **: Good Day dwarves!**

**Bifur, **Caku men rasp, **: How are you?**

**Cara, **Gamut ai-menu, jemut men, **: I am well, excuse me.**

**Bifur, **Gajut hi, **: Forgive him... guesswork...**

**Cara, **Ai-Menu torvinh, menu bâhzundush, **: I am the craftswoman, your raven? this one is extreme guesswork...There is no dictionary online and I suck at languages. **

**Hand gestures: since the mines would be so incredibly loud at times, dwarves had a sort of sign language, it was kinda universally known. **

**Cara, **Rasup gamut, **: Farewell**

**Alright I am so happy that is over! Took me forever and a day to find what I could for this and I hope you enjoy the different language for you as an outsider to read! It is the secret dwarven language ya know! ;)**

**Okay so as a small tribute to Dalonega Noquisi who mentioned in her review that she missed Fili...To be honest I did too...So guess what's gonna happen in the next chapter! **

**Please leave me a message or two in the box below and I'll see you next week!**


	10. Chapter 10

**So this chapter is actually on time! HUZZAH! But forgive me because it jumps around a bit from one area to another. I just don't want to write ever single day of travel because that would take forever!**

**There's one * in here but it's pretty rudimentary. **

* * *

When I had finally managed to slip away from Bofur with the help of Bifur I urged Hafaleil to travel with haste. Knowing that Fili was just ahead meant that I was incredibly behind schedule.

"Why does nothing ever go right?" I cursed myself as we continued forward on the long winding road. Purkoy was still nestled in my hand and had chosen to remain silent as I glanced over my shoulder hoping not to see the three dwarves that I had left behind. With a bit of rare luck they weren't anywhere in sight.

It took three hours before I saw signs of another pair of riders, the tracks I could only assume were from Fili and assumedly Kili. I followed them for another hour when the sun had finally reached its peak in the sky. The wind had fallen silent and the sound of a running creek with soft splashes was nearby. The scene in itself would have been peaceful if there hadn't been the constant worry that I would happen to run into the pair. Although secretly my heart longed to see just a glimpse of the sapphire eyes that had bid me farewell only days ago, I knew that there was no chance.

There was a small snap of a twig from the right of me.

I quickly glanced to see a pair of ponies that were rider less and that had been tied to a large horizontal branch that were exceptionally hidden back behind a few rows of trees. It was almost like a rock had hit me on the head when I noticed that one of them had a bow and quiver attached to the saddle. My heart stopped for a moment and fear crept into my soul.

"Kili?" I questioned for a moment as I stopped Hafaleil and dismounted, leaving Purkoy on the saddle. The Eye went cold on my chest but once again I ignored it and make a quick look around to be sure that there was no one else nearby. I cautiously approached the animals curious to see if either of the princes was around pulling my hood back over my head.

"Brother! You're a fool!" I heard Kili's voice yell through the trees. His voice shattered the silence and any doubt in my mind that this was anyone else.

"You're the one who pushed me in first!"

Fili.

His voice was indescribably soothing to my stressed soul as I dove behind a large bush that had a small exposure of branches that I could continue to look through. I couldn't help but allow a smile to cross my face as their voices began to get closer.

"At least we should be dry in a few hours!" Kili joked as they came into my view. Each of them had clothes strewn over their arms and was wearing nothing but trousers.

"Probably less than that," Fili recanted as he threw his clothes over the back of his pony. His wet hair allowed beautiful water droplets to run down his back and down his chest. I couldn't help but think about the night that we had shared together. The feelings of passion and the tension of our desperate need for one another hung in the air.

The Eye was getting so cold that it managed to snap me out of my day dream and was becoming physically painful. As much as it hurt I just couldn't pull myself away. I just wanted to run up to him and to feel his arms around me once more. To feel his gentle kiss on my lips and his hands as they stroked the mess of hair that I had.

"How much farther do we have before we get to the Shire?" Kili asked.

"We should reach the border in a few hours but getting to the meeting place might take us till nightfall."

"What is the meeting place? No one ever really told me," Kili muttered as he began to climb back into his clothes.

"Bag something," Fili replied, "It's supposed to be a hobbit dwelling."

"What's a hobbit?" Kili said with his usual enthusiastic tone. I honestly wondered that myself, father had once spoken of this race but I never pressed him on the matter.

"Little people?" Fili guessed as he picked up an article of clothing. I rolled my eyes at the hint of sarcasm that I detected.

"How little?"

"From what Balin explained to me, they are smaller than us. They look like children of men but are fully grown and for some odd reason they never wear shoes." As if on cue Kili burst into laughter.

"That's ridiculous!" he snickered, "They must have pretty tough feet." Fili shrugged.

"Apparently that's what they do," he replied. They both fell to silence for a moment before Kili spoke once more.

"What do you think Cara is doing right now?"

"I told you not to speak of her!" Fili snapped, his eyes suddenly turning into a well of furry.

"No one is around!" Kili sputtered in his defense, "I just can't help but wonder."

"She's fine," Fili replied as he began putting his shirt on but couldn't bring himself to finish the task, "At least, I hope she is…Kili! This is why I didn't want you to bring her up!" He threw his shirt on the saddle and growled under his breath.

"I miss her too," Kili whispered as he reached over to put a comforting had on his brothers shoulder. Fili looked up and put his hand on his brother's arm and gave him a soft smile.

At this very moment I was so overwhelmed at the circumstances that we were in. I had to pinch myself over and over to stop myself from standing up and rushing into his arms. The Eye was stealing my breath away and I was slowly suffocating.

"Fili," Kili began suddenly while looking around, "does something feel a little off?"

"Almost like we're being watched?" Fili muttered as he began casually looking around, "Aye." I held my breath for a moment as his gaze began scanning the area slowly and seeming to get slower as they neared my position.

I cursed myself a hundred times over as I looked around for anything that I could use to get their attention elsewhere. I picked up a small pebble and managed to throw it a good distance before it hit a tree. As if right on cue both of their heads snapped towards the sound.

"What was that?" Kili whispered. They looked back at each other for a moment and I took that time to throw another pebble. It managed to hit in the same general area.

"I'll go check it out," Fili whispered as he pulled a long dagger from a saddle bag, "It could just be a rabbit or something."

"You mean lunch?" Kili chuckled.

With their attention directed elsewhere, I began moving backwards to the road. At first it was just small movements that wouldn't draw a lot of attention but soon enough I was confident to turn my back. I shifted between trees and soon managed to get back on the road where Hafaleil and Purkoy were waiting.

"Let's go," I struggled to say as I remounted and pressed my knees into his sides. He jerked forward suddenly, throwing my hood off my head as we shot off down the dirt road.

As I crossed into the borders of the Shire there was a strange scent in the air. It was fresh and light compared to the air that was outside the rolling green hills. There was laughter on the small warm breeze that welcomed me to the area. The skies were almost an entire different shade of blue and the clouds were fluffier than I had ever seen them before.

I soon found myself at a fork in the road and pulled out the map for a moment to determine which way that I needed to go. West, of course, but there were no definite roads that were visible on the parchment and the two roads both went west. I grunted in anger as I folded it back up and placed it back into my shirt as I continued the debate until a very small person appeared pulling a cart behind him.

He was rather stout for his height with brown curls on his head. His face seemed worn with age and his gray eyes looked at me with caution and skepticism. His thin cloak had a tear at the bottom and his clothes looked as if they were a size too small. His bare feet were covered with a large layer of rough hair which seemed to have caught stray pieces of grass and leaves.

"Hello, I am looking for a way to pass through. Which road…" I began but was suddenly cut off by a high pitched laugh.

"Daddy!" A little girl with bright blonde curls jumped out from under a blanket that was in the back. I was taken back for a moment as I looked at this little girl that had piercing blue eyes. Her face was round and joyful. When she made eye contact with me she immediately ducked back down so that only her eyes were exposed.

"Where is it you'll be goin?" the little man asked as he stopped the cart.

"Bree," I replied, "But I'd like to stop to see a friend first."

"Oh?" he pondered, "where is this friend?"

"At…" I stopped myself for a moment, "Bag something?"

"Bag End? That's way over in Hobbiton! Just follow this other road for a ways and then turn north on the road that leads to the Hill*. After that just come back to the same road and in a few days you should be in Buckland and from there cross the Bucklebury Ferry and keep on goin. You'll get to Bree eventually," he said as he wiped his brow with a dirty handkerchief, "There's two more of your kinsman ahead if yer looking to catch up."

"No," I whispered as I flipped him a copper piece, "Thank you."

"Thank you master dwarf," he replied with a soft and grateful smile. His little girl looked at me long and hard for a moment as she stood up once more. A small breeze caught her hair for a moment and the curls bounced around her freckled face. For the first time in a long time the Eye was warm on my chest as she gazed at me with wonder.

"You take care little one!" I smiled at her. A little grin appeared as her little cheeks went a soft pink.

"Farewell and good luck to you!" he called as I tapped the reins to move Hafaleil forward.

"Bye!" the high voice of the little girl rang around me as I turned around and waved to her. I turned once more to face worward but I could still see the blue eyes of the little girl and the innocence that they held. The only thing that threw them from my mind was a hard cough that harshly escaped my throat.

The sun had all but set and I was still traveling to the place called Bag End. The Eye of course was very opposed to the idea but I couldn't get the thought out of my head that I could see Fili once more before I left for good. It wasn't cold out but I couldn't help but pull my cloak around myself as I hummed quietly to myself. There was laughter and indistinct conversations that were floating in the air as I continued along the road that the small man had directed me on. It seemed to stretch on forever; I figured that I had at least gone fifteen miles since I received directions. Having never been this far west of Luneside I had no idea how large this place was.

Purkoy was eagerly rubbing against my face from his perch along my shoulder. During our travel he had managed to maintain flight for a few moments which was a relief. He would be a valuable asset to scout ahead of me to be sure to keep watch for the leagues of bandits that were surely going to be coming after me. Although I hoped that they were long behind me and that I only had Thorin's company and the local dangers to worry about.

"We should be there by now, or somewhere close," I muttered to myself as I pulled out my map for the third time. On it was scrawled 'The Hill' to the north of a thin line I attempted to draw to keep myself on track. Unfortunately it wasn't working.

"Alright," I grumbled as I shoved the map back into place, "I am lost!" I kicked Hafaleil's sides carefully to speed him up. The light had finally disappeared and the stars were beginning to show their dim light.

We trotted a ways before we finally managed to come upon a settlement that was filled with lively folk. It was truly a sight to behold as small lights from inside of the rolling hills came on. The voices that had been with me all day had died down to no more than a dull roar and the sound of laughter became soft, almost like singing. There were small patches of shaped smoke that appeared from a few doorsteps that almost had a magical quality to them.

As I passed they all looked at me with queer looks and had the same cautionary aura as the hobbit that I had met earlier. Usually it was from the women who would usher their curious children inside their homes and away from the stranger. It didn't really bother me that much, I rather enjoyed this sort of treatment.

It wasn't difficult for me to eventually find a small overlaying hill that wasn't occupied by a hobbit family to lie down and sleep on. The weather was beautiful and the stars shone so brightly I couldn't resist myself. As I began to unpack a few things I experienced a series of hard and deep throated coughs that resulted with mucus in my mouth. I figured that I was just getting a cold and thought nothing more of it.

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**The Hill: This is where Bag End is located in the Shire. If you look it up on a map then it should make a bit more sense. **

**Okay so I have pacified myself for now with a little bit of Fili and Kili in here. I know that it's not much but I'm pushing it as it is. **

**So I didn't realize that the Shire was this big...so she might be hanging around here for part of the next chapter. A pony can only go so far in a day. I found an article that says that on the type of hilly terrain, that the Shire is, a pony could go about 40 miles. It's got a bunch of other distances with other types of conditions so I'm going to be going off of that to get what I can from it. **

**If you want to know what the article is, just let me know via message.**

**So I hope you enjoyed reading and I really do hope you leave a review because I love them...all four that I have currently... :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Alrighty! Just so you know there are a few * in here. **

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I awoke the next day covered in the morning dew that dampened my hair and gave me a small shiver. I attempted to stretch and to sprawl myself out onto the wet grass but cramps seemed to prevent me from moving much. Hafaleil was startled by my growls of pain as I rolled onto my side and climbed to my feet.

"Purkoy?" I muttered as I looked around for the small dove, "Purkoy?" I rummaged through the saddle bags where he usually hid but he wasn't there.

"Purkoy!" I called out to the quiet air. There was no reply except the small whisper of a breeze. He was nowhere to be seen and although I had never been too fond of pets having him around was comforting.

I paused for a moment to almost pay a silent respect for the small turtle dove that had been with me this far but I knew that I couldn't stay and look for him. So in defeat, I reached down and picked the saddle up to swing it over the pony's back. It was damp and I could tell that it bothered Hafaleil slightly.

"Just you and me now," I whispered to him as he neighed softly. I pulled the straps on tightly and took one more look around to see if I had missed the small bird snoozing in the grass. Again, he was nowhere. After tying down everything that I had unpacked I grunted in irritation and pulled myself into the saddle.

I pulled the reins to direct us back to the path we had diverged from the night before. My body still ached as the sun began to peak over the green hillside. The settlement that we had passed was silent behind me, the only sounds that I could hear was the sound of the hooves below me and a small flapping noise that seemed to be getting closer.

"Wait," I said as I pulled the pony to a stop and turned to look at where the flapping was coming from. I didn't see anything but the quiet settlement and a small bird that was flying in my direction. As it got closer I noticed a small flash of gold from under its wing.

"Purkoy!" I said excitedly as he came to a stop in front of me, "Good to see you're feeling better!" He tilted his head and then flew around mine for a moment before zooming off. I couldn't help but sigh with relief as I pressed my knees into the sides of Hafaleil to usher him to keep up.

Within the first two hours of the morning I managed to find another small settlement that had even more suspicious folk than the last. Everywhere I looked; there were strange looks and very disapproving stares. Some were even from the children but I took no offense to that because even I had trouble in the mornings.

"Good morning!" I called out to a male hobbit that was on the road with a cart laden with different vegetables.

"Morning," he replied politely and anxiously.

"Am I near Bag End?" I asked him. His face was unchanged as he nodded.

"Ya are," he responded as he threw a thumb over his shoulder, "First left along this road." I began to thank him but he had already brushed by me on the small road and was on his way. I let out a small cough that had built in my throat from the conversation and urged Hafaleil forward.

Purkoy was eager to continue moving forward and would fly ahead occasionally. With the scare that occurred just that morning I was uneasy about letting him go but I knew that there was no way I could stop him. He looked so happy and I knew that I couldn't ruin that for him. But he would always come back and rest on my shoulder for a few moments before taking back to the air.

"So many dwarves in these parts!" I heard someone mutter from under their breath as I passed by.

"Thirteen of them just last night!" their companion replied.

"Pardon me," I asked as I pulled on my reins to stop, only to back up to where they stood, "Did you by chance say thirteen dwarves?" I took them both by surprise. One was a woman with bright red curls and a spotted face. She looked rather younger than her companion, who was an elderly gentleman. Both were but the size of children and were wearing simple clothing, nothing too fancy.

"Why, yes we did," she stuttered as she stuffed her pockets into her dirt covered apron.

"Did one of them have golden hair?" I inquired as she nodded.

"There was only one that had that color on their head."

"Which way did they go?" She avoided my gaze as she pointed down the road that I was currently on.

"They were headed for the Green Dragon this morning," the man said which caused me to worry. I was behind schedule again!

"Thank you," I coughed. They had been going at me all morning and seemed to be getting worse. Nothing like a simple cold to slow you down.

"Do you need any thyme* for that?" the elderly man asked, "I have some here if you are interested in getting rid of that cough." He held up the basket that was on his arm that was filled with many different plants. I recognized some of them as rosemary, saffron and ginger.

"I don't think that will be necessary," I replied, "It's just a cold." Dis had given me many lessons on the different herbs that would help for wounds but never really any information on sicknesses. Frankly I just never paid much attention to that section, mainly because I usually never get sick.

"A cold can lead to many things so trust yer elder. Although you may even be older than I, bein' a dwarf an all. You look only to be a lad."

"Aye I am," I replied.

"Well I am known as Gaffer around these parts and this is my daughter Daisy*," he said as he began rummaging through the basket, "She's always getting coughing fits around this time of year and it's never good what comes after if it isn't taken care of." The young woman looked at me with almost a sneer ready to pass her lips as if daring me to say something.

"Well," I began, "I suppose it couldn't hurt to have some on hand. How much?"

"Oh it's no trouble," he replied as he reached up to hand me a small pouch of it. I offered a smile and flipped him a small coin anyways.

"Thank you master gardener," I said with a small smile which was returned.

"Just brew it in boiling water and drink it every morning and night," he instructed as he slipped the coin into his vest pocket, "And just call me Gaffer, I'm not the type of hobbit for formalities."

"Alright Gaffer," I smiled as I placed the pouch in a saddle bag, "Thank you again." I waved good-bye to them as I pressed my knees into the sides of my mount to get us moving forward once more.

It didn't take more than ten minutes for me to be stopped again.

"Oh please master dwarf!" It was another hobbit with wild curls and who seemed to be out of breath, "My name is Bilbo Baggins, I hate to be a bother but since you are headed in the same direction as I, I am in need of your assistance. I have a meeting at the Green Dragon in only a few minutes and I can never get there in time on my own!" He had a pack on over his long red coat. His green vest was ruffled and very unkempt as though he had rushed with getting dressed. He had a long piece of paper in his hand that hung limply in his hand. His eyes were filled with extreme distress and excessive pleading as though his life may have depended on it. I couldn't help but pity the poor thing.

"Aye," I replied as I reached down for his arm, "Hop on." He weighed a lot less than I would have expected as I swung him around to occupy the empty space behind me. He grunted in pain for a moment and for a split second I had no idea what had happened before he let out a long groan. I looked back quickly but he waved me on.

"It's fine," he said as he began taking deep breaths, "just go!" I kicked the sides of Hafaleil and we accelerated to a fast trot. His arms instantly wrapped around my waist as he was jolted backwards.

"Who is this meeting with?" I asked cautiously turning my head slightly for him to hear me.

"A few of your kin, I'm sure," he replied as we began bouncing in the saddle.

"Do you remember any of their names?"

"The only one I can truly recall is Thorin Oakenshield," he replied wearily, "Do you know him? He's a rather glum fellow and seems very angry all the time." I almost yanked the reins to turn around but I held myself back.

"Aye, I know him," I replied gruffly, "A friend of my fathers."

"Well he should be happy to see you!" Bilbo said as cheerfully as he could as I maneuvered my pony to avoid a small group of running children. Their parents yelled in anger at us as Bilbo shouted his apologies.

"The last time I saw him," I began, "It wasn't on good terms. You probably shouldn't mention that I was here or that you ever saw me. It would only make him angry, very angry."

"What happened between you?" he asked.

"I'd rather not discuss it with a mere acquaintance, master Baggins. Where is this 'Green Dragon'?"

"I didn't mean to pry. It's just a little farther up the road, at the edge of Hobbiton but we can get there sooner if we cross this field here." He pointed to the field to my right that unfortunately had a wooden fence around it. I hesitantly pulled Hafaleil away from the road so that we could get a running start at it. I could hear my passenger beginning to reconsider what he said as we charged at the fence. I was probably just as nervous as he was when I felt the muscles in my pony tense up and launch us into the air. We landed beautifully and continued through the grass.

"Are you alright?" I called back to him after a few moments of silence.

"Is this your first time in the Shire, if you don't mind my asking," he sputtered.

"Aye," I replied as I began to see the other side of the field approaching, "Here it comes!" I heard him squeal with fright as he squeezed my sides. We jumped again and landed back onto the road we had seemingly just left; the scenery began to all look the same to me.

There was a long straight section of the path that led to a small brown spot on the horizon.

"Is that it?" I asked as I felt him cautiously look over my shoulder.

"Yes! But they've already left! Quickly, we might be able to catch up!" The Eye went ice cold on my chest and I fought the pain to keep going for this hobbit. I knew that it would be wise that I know where they were so that I could measure their traveling speed so that I could match or even speed up my own. Apparently the Eye didn't see it that way as the small brown dot got bigger.

We galloped up to the front of the run down tavern where I came to a stop. Bilbo slid off my pony rather clumsily and rushed into the building. I glanced down at the many tracks that had been left. I maneuvered Hafaleil around so that I could determine which tracks were the company's. It took only a few minutes to figure it out and in that time Bilbo had come out of the building.

"They shouldn't be more than a mile away! If you would, master dwarf, could you get me close enough to run the rest of the way?" His eyes had the same look in them as before and I couldn't refuse. Hobbits must have had some sort of unseen power to make one feel guilty.

I reached down and pulled him back into the saddle being a little more careful this time. He again wrapped his arms around my waist and after I examined the tracks they left once more I headed off in the same direction.

"If I may say," Bilbo began, "You look a little different than your kinsmen."

"How so?" I asked, turning my head slightly.

"You don't look as…oh what's the word…scruffy? Dirty? Unkempt? Well, it's something like that," he replied, "You're much softer and definitely have better hygiene." I paused with my reply as I looked down at what I had on. Everything was pretty dirty in my eyes. I had no idea what he meant.

"Well…thanks," I managed to reply as I looked back to the ground to find the company's tracks. They were a lot of them and it wasn't too hard for me to miss. They were getting to be very fresh.

"Listen!" Bilbo said quickly, "I can hear them! They must be over that small hill there! Oh thank you master dwarf!" I slowed the pony and he slid off. He seemed a little dizzy at first but quickly regained his composure.

"So long, master Baggins," I said with a small smile, "May the hair on your feet grow ever longer." I pulled on the reins to go a different direction when I saw him beginning to climb the small hill that seemed to be the beginning of a tree line.

"Wait! I forgot to ask your name!" he called out. I turned back.

"It might be best you not know!" I replied as I gave him a respectful wave and kicked the sides of Hafaleil, "Farewell Bilbo Baggins!"

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**Thyme: is actually great for making coughs for effective by expelling the infection or virus or whatever ails you.**

**Daisy: Yes, Samwise did have an older sister named Daisy. I have no idea what she looks like so I improvised. **

**Alright! There's the answer to the thing that has been questioning us all! How Bilbo Baggins caught up with the company who were riding horses...ponys...or whatever. So Ah Ha! There we go! **

**So I am super happy that Cara has finally been able to get a move on! There's more to come! I mean a lot more! Like seriously...it takes eight days to get to Bree from Hobbiton...Geez! So the next chapter is just going to be more or less that part of the journey. It might be boring but maybe not...It's just going to be what is on Cara's mind at the time and a time to begin tying up loose ends. **

**But you'll have to read it and see!**

**Thanks to all of those who have reviewed! Totally makes my days! **

**If you haven't...there's still a chance before I send my armies of orcs after you! Bwahaha! Just kidding, you can if you want to or you should just so I can keep track at what's going on with those on the other end of my words! **


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